Archbishop Vincent Nichols
Europeans continue to lead the international discussion of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as one of the preeminent human rights issues of our time. At Huffpo UK, yesterday:
The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales offered prayers today for people in Bethlehem at risk of losing their homes.
During his Midnight Mass sermon, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols spoke of 50 families in the West Bank who he said could lose their land to Israel.
Addressing the congregation at Westminster Cathedral, Archbishop Nichols urged people to “see more clearly all those things which disfigure our world”, adding: “We too live ‘in a land of deep shadow’.”
He went on: “That shadow falls particularly heavily on the town of Bethlehem tonight.
“At this moment the people of the parish of Beit Jala prepare for their legal battle to protect their land and homes from further expropriation by Israel.
“Over 50 families face losing their land and their homes as action is taken to complete the separation/security wall across the territory of the district of Bethlehem.
“We pray for them tonight.”
The Vth collumn, hidden among Church hierarchy, is not going to like it.
It is ,oh ,so no politcially correct.
There will be probably heavy explanations and apologies after it.
Bravo for Archibishop for callings things directly by its name.
This is heart-warming, kudos to the archbishop!
yes massive kudos
Hi,
Good of the Archbishop., though be forewarned, he’s not reputed to be the most conservative Catholic; mind, his predecessor, similarly supported Palestine and he was.
The detail of the comment does make me wonder how much of persuading people to care and support the Palestinian cause is simply down to individually informing others – for if he didn’t personally know of these 50 homes, would anything more than a generic “lets pray for peace in the middle east” without the pointed judgement inherent in the christmas statement (- and a pre-requisite to progress out of the status-quo limbo -) have been made?
Yours kindly,
MN