Christian Leaders Present a Message of Peace to Hamas
Officials in Jerusalem Turn to the Beatitudes
JERUSALEM, FEB. 1, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The patriarchs and heads of the churches of Jerusalem sent a joint message of peace to Hamas, the winner of the Palestinian election.
"Our message to the government of Hamas, members and leadership, is the message of Our Lord Jesus Christ in his Sermon on the Mountain," explained the religious representatives.
The message takes up the passage of Matthew's Gospel (5:3-10) which ends: "Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognized as children of God."
The text of the message congratulates the Palestinian people "for their democratic performance in the recent parliamentary elections."
"We express our respect and our support to the will of the people expressed in these elections. We congratulate all those who were elected," states the document.
The religious leaders also address the Christians of the Holy Land to transmit to them "the message of our faith and our concern for all."
Be not afraid
"Some may be afraid or troubled because of this new phase," the leaders state. "We respond, first, with the words of Jesus Christ: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Peace I bequeath to you; my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give.'"
The leaders also call upon the Palestinians "to continue their contribution to the making of their history whatever may be the difficulties or obstacles, internal or external."
"We pray for all those who will govern in this difficult period, and we extend our cooperation to them for the public good and the national Palestinian aspirations together with the cause of justice and peace in a nonviolent way, whether in regard to foreign relations, [or] the rule of law together with full religious freedom, especially in the social and educational fields," they add.
The message ends by asking God "to guide us towards what is good for all and for this Holy Land with all its inhabitants, Palestinians and Israelis, be they Moslems, Christians or Jews."
Here are the signatories of the message, dated Tuesday:
Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarchate
Patriarch Torkom II, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate
Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land
Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate
Swerios Malki Mourad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate
Abune Grima, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate
Paul Nabil Sayyah, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate
Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
Bishop Mounib Younan, Lutheran Evangelical Church
Pierre Melki, exarch for the Syrian Catholics-Jerusalem
André Dikran Bedoghlyan, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate
Archimandrite Mtanious Haddad: Greek Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate.