The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have expressed deep concern over the serious challenges currently facing Christianity in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East, issuing a joint statement that underscores their pastoral responsibility and warns against external interference and divisive ideologies.
In their statement, the Church leaders affirm before both the faithful and the international community that “the flock of Christ in this land is entrusted to the Apostolic Churches, which have borne their sacred ministry across centuries with steadfast devotion.” They stress that the historic Churches of Jerusalem alone carry the spiritual, communal, and pastoral responsibility for Christian life in the land where Christianity was born.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches specifically raise alarm over recent actions by local individuals who, they say, promote “damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism.” According to the statement, such activities “mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock,” while undermining the longstanding ecclesial order of the Holy Land.
The Church leaders further note with concern that these initiatives have gained support from “certain political actors in Israel and beyond,” who seek to advance political agendas that could jeopardize “the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.”
Grounding their message in Scripture, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches recall the teaching of the Apostle Paul: “We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). They warn that “to claim authority outside the communion of the Church is to wound the unity of the faithful and burden the pastoral mission entrusted to the historic churches in the very land where our Lord lived, taught, suffered, and rose from the dead.”
The statement also expresses unease over the fact that such individuals have reportedly been received at official levels, both locally and internationally. The Church leaders stress that “such actions constitute interference in the internal life of the churches and disregard the pastoral responsibility vested in the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem.”
Reaffirming their role, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches make it clear that “they alone represent the Churches and their flock in matters pertaining to Christian religious, communal, and pastoral life in the Holy Land.”
Concluding their statement with a prayerful appeal, the Church leaders invoke divine guidance, saying: “May the Lord, who is the Shepherd and Guardian of souls, grant wisdom for the protection of His people and the safeguarding of His witness in this sacred land.”
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
