A
Statement from the Patriarchs
and Heads of Churches
inJerusalem, concerning the
Israeli police measures on Holy
Saturday- May 2013
We, the Heads of
Churches in Jerusalem, watched
withsorrowful hearts the
horrific scenes of the brutal
treatment of our clergy,people,
and pilgrims in the Old City of
Jerusalem during Holy Saturday
lastweek. A day of joy and
celebration was turned to great
sorrow and pain for someof our
faithful because they were
ill-treated by some Israeli
policemen whowere present around
the gates of the Old City and
passages that lead to theHoly
Sepulcher.
We understand the
necessity and the importance of
thepresence of security forces
to ensure order and stability,
and for organizingthe
celebration of the Holy Fire at
the Church of the Resurrection.
Yet, it isnot acceptable that
under pretext of security and
order, our clergy and peopleare
indiscriminately and brutally
beaten, and prevented from
entering theirchurches,
monasteries and convents.
We urge the
Israeli authorities especially
the Ministry ofInterior and the
police department in Jerusalem,
to seriously consider
ourcomplaints, to hold
responsibility and to condemn
all acts of violence againstour
faithful and the clergy who were
ill-treated by the police. We
deplore thatevery year, the
police measures are becoming
tougher, and we expect that
theseaccidents will not be
repeated and the police should
be more sensitive andrespectful
if they seek to protect and
serve.
We also denounce
all those who are blaming the
churches and holdingthem
responsible of the Israeli
measures during Holy Week
celebrations. On thecontrary,
the Heads of churches in
Jerusalem condemn all of these
measures andviolations of
Christians’ rights to worship in
their churches and Holy
Sites.Therefore, we condemn all
measures of closing the Old City
and urge the Israeliauthorities
to allow full access to the Holy
sites during Holy Week of
bothChurch Calendars.
The Heads of
Churches of Jerusalem
+Patriarch Theophilos III,
GreekOrthodox Patriarchate
+Patriarch Fouad Twal,
LatinPatriarchate
+Patriarch Norhan
Manougian,Armenian Apostolic
Orthodox Patriarchate
+Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa,
ofm,Custos of the Holy Land
+Archbishop Anba Abraham,
CopticOrthodox Patriarchate,
Jerusalem
+Archbishop Swerios Malki
Murad,Syrian Orthodox
Patriarchate
+Aba Fissiha Tsion, Locum
Tenensof the Ethiopian Orthodox
Patriarchate
+Archbishop Joseph-Jules
Zerey,Greek-Melkite-Catholic
Patriarchate
+Archbishop Moussa
El-Hage,Maronite Patriarchal
Exarchate
+Bishop Suheil Dawani,
EpiscopalChurch of Jerusalem and
the Middle East
+Bishop Munib Younan,
EvangelicalLutheran Church in
Jordan and the Holy Land
+Bishop Pierre Melki,
SyrianCatholic Patriarchal
Exarchate
+Msgr. Joseph Antoine
Kelekian,Armenian Catholic
Patriarchal Exarchate
