For several years now, Christian churches in Jerusalem have collaborated to offer ecumenical prayer services for peace for about two weeks in late August. Tonight, Thursday August 17, we gathered in the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer for a prayer service in German, Arabic and English. Join us in our prayers: Merciful God, we pray … [Read more…]
“How do our religious views of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem affect the peace process in Israel/Palestine?” “Is this a religious conflict or a political conflict?” More than 100 gathered for a conference at Tantur Ecumenical Institute about these and other questions about religious views of Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Holy Sites in … [Read more…]
Thousands gathered Saturday in Nazareth to protest a failed bombing attempt by a Jewish family Friday night at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where Christians had gathered for traditional Lenten prayers. Fortunately, the homemade mixture of fireworks, flammable liquids and a jar of marbles and nails to serve as shrapnel didn’t explode properly, … [Read more…]
Bishop Younan and Archiemadrite Mtanios Haddad of the Greek Melkite Church in Jerusalem led a delegation to Nablus to participate in the 25th Anniversary Mass for Father Yusef Saad. The church was overflowing with worshippers who attended the mass, held one year after they had celebrated the 25th anniversary of the church with a blessing … [Read more…]
In late October, Bishop Younan joined almost 200 Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith leaders gathered in Amman for the one year anniversary of the release of the Amman Message by King Abdullah last year. The Amman Message is an initiative to raise the moderate voices of Islam who interpret the Koran as teaching co-existence, peace … [Read more…]
Representatives from the Lutheran, Baptist and Methodist churches in Denmark as well as representatives from DanChurch Aid and the Ecumenical Council in Denmark visited Palestine and Israel from March 13-20, 2004. The leaders of the delegation were the Rt. Rev. Kresten Drejergaard, Bishop of Fuenen (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, ELCD); the Rev. Ane Hjerrild, … [Read more…]