SW News: Six Catholic bishops from Europe during a recent visit to the Holy Land decried threats to Christians in Jerusalem and the attack on mourners attending the funeral of a Christian journalist. The prelates, who are members of the Holy Land Coordination Group, also stressed that believers in Holy City are essential to its social mosaic.

The Christian presence in Jerusalem is threatened by “occupation and injustice” they said in a press release. “Many of those we encountered are facing violence and intimidation by settler groups, restrictions on their freedom of movement, or separation from their families because of the status they are assigned.”

From May 21 to 26, the bishops visited faith communities and interacted with believers from different Churches and rites. They also shared their worries about the Christians who were miffed by the curbs on freedom of worship during Easter imposed by the Israeli police. They also spoke about the anger felt by believers when policemen attacked mourners in the funeral procession of slain Melkite Catholic Arab journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. A reporter working for Al Jazeera TV, Shireen was killed while she was reporting a raid by Israeli security personnel in a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on May 11.

The six prelates explained in the communique that the devastating pandemic curbs have aggravated poverty. Bereft of pilgrims, Christians in Jerusalem had to struggle to make ends meet. However, there are signs of hope, the bishops said, adding that faith-based outfits are working hard to provide succor to believers. They also said young Christians are fighting odds to ensure that the community survives.

In their communique, the bishops also gave a reminder that Jerusalem is a common patrimony of the three Abrahamic faiths -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They also said no single religion should have an exclusive monopoly over the city.

Since 2000, the Holy Land Coordination Group, which was founded by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has been making annual visits to Israel to foster greater awareness and action for the region.