Three prominent Palestinian churchmen are visiting Ireland this week to highlight the situation of Christians in the Israeli-occupied territories to Irish Church and political figures.Jerusalem clerics Archbishop Theodosius Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church and Monsignor Manuel Musallam of the Latin Catholic Church Jerusalem, as well as Constantine Dabbagh of the Middle East Council of Churches will spend the week here on a trip organised by Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Alliance.
The purpose of the visit is to raise the plight of the dwindling number of Christians in the occupied parts of Palestine and the effects of Israel’s occupation on Christians, particularly in Bethlehem as Christmas approaches.
Alan Lonergan of Sadaka, who is a main organiser of the visit, was involved in a siege-breaking boat journey to Gaza two years ago said he had met Fr.Musallam in Gaza where he was then working as the parish priest of the city’s Holy Family parish.
The itinerary of the three church figures includes meetings with President Mary McAleese, Minister for Foreign Micheál Martin and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and an address to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Over the weekend, the delegation travels to Mayo for a reception from Mayo County Council, a visit to the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide and an ecumenical service in Ballintubber Abbey next Sunday of Hope for Peace in the Holy Land.
SIC: CIN/IE
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