So that Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem Will Not be Forgotten
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 20 (ZENIT.org).- Yesterday, John Paul II appealed for aid to the Churches «in the places of salvation,» when he received the Reunion of Works for Aid to the Oriental Churches, led by Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Referring to his recent Jubilee pilgrimages, the Pope reminded «all the Catholic faithful» that they must always be concerned «about the Christian communities in the Holy Land,» and must support them «in their needs, so that the names Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem will continue to inspire in the spirit of today's and tomorrow's Christians, sentiments of gratitude for the ineffable mystery that took place there, and the news of salvation that, thanks to the first communities of believers, reached the whole world from that land.»
To maintain a Christian presence in the Holy Land, which is threatened by the economic and political situation, the Pope called for «all kinds of efforts» in order to rescue «the populations divided by fratricidal conflicts,» which are «searching for stable ways of justice and liberty.»
«The commitment to justice and the search for resources to create a culture of solidarity and cooperation must constitute the paramount objectives, above all for the ecclesial communities,» the Holy Father concluded.
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