![[home]](/sdwp/images/new_usccb_logo.gif){kind=logo}
The USCCB provides resources for each of these four action areas:
pray for the Mother Church of Jerusalem,
go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land,
persuade political leaders to work for a just peace, and
support projects to strengthen the local Church
As the place of Christ's birth and ministry, the Holy Land has a special significance for Christians. The Holy Land also has religious significance for our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters. For centuries, adherents of the three religions have lived side by side.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has worked for justice and peace in the Holy Land for decades and focuses special attention on the concerns and needs of the Mother Church of Jerusalem and the small Christian community caught in the midst of continuing conflict. At the request of the Holy See, European and North American Catholic bishops' conferences formed the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land in 1998.
In January 2009, the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences made its ninth visit to the Holy Land. At the end of the visit, the bishops issued this appeal:
"To the people of God in our countries, we say: Intensify your prayer for the welfare of the mother Church and the peace of Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Come as pilgrims to the Holy Land and meet the living Christian communities here. Join us in persuading our governments to make Israeli-Palestinian peace a high priority. Support concrete projects and partnerships with the local Christian communities that are struggling for survival."
Pray for the Mother Church of Jerusalem
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
"May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your ramparts,
prosperity within your towers."
For family and friends I say,
"May peace be yours."
For the house of the LORD, our God, I pray,
"May blessings be yours." (Psalm 122:6-9)
Advent Reflections for Peace in the Holy Land
Interfaith Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land
"But let us also pray for the city of Jerusalem, that it may increasingly be a place for the encounter of religions and peoples; that it may truly be a place of peace."
-- Benedict XVI, General Audience, October 12, 2005
Go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD'S house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD'S mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction
and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)
Since the first century, pilgrimage to the Holy Land has been a tradition for Christians. Making a pilgrimage can be a profoundly holy and transforming experience. Pilgrims should be prepared to engage in a distinctly Christian and life-changing religious experience.
The USCCB, along with partner organizations, prepared a pilgrimage guide for those making journeys to the Holy Land for the Jubilee Year 2000. To encourage continued interest in Holy Land pilgrimages, the Conference has revised and reissued the pilgrimage guidelines.
Print-ready Revised Pilgrimage Guidelines in PDF Format
"My journey therefore is a pilgrimage, in a spirit of humble gratitude and hope, to the origins of our religious history. It is a tribute to the three religious traditions which co-exist in this land. For a long time I have looked forward to meeting the faithful of the Catholic communities in their rich variety, and the members of the various Christian Churches and Communities present in the Holy Land. I pray that my visit will serve to encourage an increase of interreligious dialogue that will lead Jews, Christians and Muslims to seek in their respective beliefs, and in the universal brotherhood that unites all the members of the human family, the motivation and the perseverance to work for the peace and justice which the peoples of the Holy Land do not yet have, and for which they yearn so deeply."
-- Jubilee Pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II, Welcome Ceremony in Israel, March 21, 2000
Persuade political leaders to work for a just peace
"There can be no peace unless people believe in peace. There can be no security unless there is security for all. There can be no justice unless there is justice for everyone in this land. Faith gives us hope that justice, peace and forgiveness are possible."
-- Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land, January 15, 2009
The USCCB has an active history of engaging our political leaders to work for a just peace in the Holy Land and to promote the rights of minorities, especially the vulnerable Christian minority. These letters, action alerts and backgrounders represent the Conference's public actions on the situation in the Holy Land.
USCCB Advocacy on the Israel-Palestine
Partnership with other faith leaders is essential to achieving peace in the Holy Land, which requires a unified commitment across religious lines. The National Interreligious Leadership Initiative (NILI) for Peace in the Middle East is an unprecedented interfaith initiative of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious leaders who offer a collective voice for peace.
National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East
The Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land mirrors and supports the mission of the USCCB and the National Interreligious Initiative for Peace in the Middle East at the local level. The Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land calls on diocesan bishops and Catholic leaders to partner with local religious leaders in the Jewish, Muslim and other Christian traditions. The goal is to create a shared commitment to a just resolution of the conflict and to raise a united voice with policy makers and the wider public.
Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land Resources
"To the leaders of the international community we say: Work with Israelis and Palestinians to stop the violence in Gaza and provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance. But do not stop there. With one voice press Israelis and Palestinians to build a just peace with security for Israel and a viable state for Palestinians."
-- Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land, January 15, 2009
Support projects to strengthen the local Church
"To the Christians of the Mother Church in the Holy Land we say: We see in you the suffering face of Christ who lost everything for our sake. You are not alone. We are one family, a worldwide communion in Christ. We hear your cries as you suffer alongside your brothers and sisters in the wider community. We assure you of our love, our prayer and our continued solidarity. We ask you to pray for us."
-- Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land, January 15, 2009
Though much of the news about the Holy Land concerns Jewish-Muslim relations, the Christian presence in the Holy Land dates back to the beginning of Christianity. Through many centuries and changing political circumstances, the Church has retained its faith and culture in the cradle of Christianity. With the current humanitarian and political crisis in the region, these Christians are in need of support from the faithful around the world.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides aid to the Holy Land through Catholic Relief Services (CRS), its official relief and development agency. Along with CRS, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation provide important services to Christians in the Holy Land.
The USCCB provides materials for use by parishes and dioceses who wish to raise awareness of the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters in Palestine and to offer ways to assist them.
Sample Parish Bulletin Announcement
Print Ready Flyer on Aid Agencies in the Holy Land (PDF)
"I think it is important to remind ourselves about the Eastern Christians because there is the present danger of them emigrating, these Christians who have always been an important minority living in a fruitful relationship with the surrounding reality. There is a great danger that these places where Christianity had its origins will be left without Christians. I think we need to help them a lot so that they can stay."
-- Benedict XVI, Interview, August 5, 2006