“The present divisions of Christians must be considered to be the result of sin and of passions. They have nothing to do with pluralism. It is not possible to defer to the end of time the realisation of the Church’s unity, which is a pledge of credibility and a sign of God’s grace, a grace that is not limited to a period or place”, wrote Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fuad Twal, in his first pastoral letter “Unity in Diversity”. A text in which he outlined the essential elements of his diocese (Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Cyprus) described in the diversity of “its functions and vocations”. “We must seek to restore the unity that has been torn by divisions and schisms, the unity that has as its foundation one single faith and one single Lord”, wrote Patriarch Twal according to which “this unity in diversity can be compared to that of the body: there cannot be diversity of functions without the body’s unity, and the unity of the body does not suppress the diversity of functions. The diversity of functions only strengthens the unity and solidity of the body”. In the text the Latin Patriarch also focused on the suffering of “Christ’s flock in his land”. Speaking of the war in Gaza, of the death of some 1,500 people, of the destruction of Palestinian houses, Patriarch Twal stated that “it is in the mystery and in the light of the cross that we can understand something of the meaning of these adversities”. The conflict “tragically increased the affliction of the Christians who represent only a tiny minority on a national scale. But “in the land of Christ, they are not foreigners”, said the Patriarch. Then he added “the Palestinian People have a legitimate aspiration to freedom and sovereignty. Like the Israeli people, it desires stability and security. Ultimately, peace cannot be established without justice”. As for peace, the Patriarch reaffirmed the commitment of the “Church of Jerusalem” who “looks with tenderness upon all the children of its local communities, Arab, Jewish and Cypriot, as well as its children of all nationalities. The Church goes beyond the differences of race and culture, since she is Catholic, that is to say, universal. She wants to go beyond the political conflicts, in order to embrace all her children in the love of Christ. In this way, she witnesses to the reciprocal charity. We hope to be artisans of unity among the inhabitants of our country”.
© SIR