Heads of churches in Jerusalem visited the town of Taybeh in Ramallah on July 14, 2025. / Credit: Sand SahiliyaACI MENA, Jul 16, 2025 / 18:01 pm (CNA).Church leaders in Jerusalem say they hold Israeli authorities responsible for "facilitating and enabling" settler attacks, warning that police silence in the face of emergency calls constitutes a form of complicity.On Monday, the heads of churches visited the predominantly Christian town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah. The delegation was led by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, joined by diplomats representing more than 20 countries. U.S. representatives canceled their participation at the last minute without explanation.The visit carried a serious warning about the escalating threat to one of the oldest Christian communities in the Holy Land. Both church leaders and diplomats called for accountability for Israeli settlers and an end to the threats targeting a ...
Heads of churches in Jerusalem visited the town of Taybeh in Ramallah on July 14, 2025. / Credit: Sand Sahiliya
ACI MENA, Jul 16, 2025 / 18:01 pm (CNA).
Church leaders in Jerusalem say they hold Israeli authorities responsible for "facilitating and enabling" settler attacks, warning that police silence in the face of emergency calls constitutes a form of complicity.
On Monday, the heads of churches visited the predominantly Christian town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah. The delegation was led by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, joined by diplomats representing more than 20 countries. U.S. representatives canceled their participation at the last minute without explanation.
The visit carried a serious warning about the escalating threat to one of the oldest Christian communities in the Holy Land. Both church leaders and diplomats called for accountability for Israeli settlers and an end to the threats targeting a deeply rooted Christian community in the region.
Heads of churches in Jerusalem visit the town of Taybeh in Ramallah on July 14, 2025. Credit: Sand Sahiliya
Speaking on behalf of the church leaders, Theophilos III said: "We appeal to the conscience of the entire world, imploring its prayers, attention, and action, especially from our fellow Christians around the globe. The Church has maintained its faithful presence in this land for nearly 2,000 years, and we categorically reject these exclusionary messages."
For his part, Cardinal Pizzaballa remarked: "Sadly, the temptation to emigrate remains because of the current situation." He described the West Bank as an area "outside the rule of law," adding: "The only law that applies here is the law of force, the law of whoever holds power, not true law. We must work to restore the presence of law to this part of the country, so that everyone can rely on it to guarantee and enforce their rights."
The churches demanded a transparent investigation, accountability for the perpetrators, and the dismantling of settlement outposts threatening local lands. They also called for international action to ensure Christians can remain on their land.
Among other incidents, on July 7, settlers set fire near the historic St. George (al-Khader) cemetery. Locals managed to contain the blaze before it reached the church, but the message was clear: "You have no future here" was written on a sign later placed near the site.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
View of the mass grave at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in the town of Tuam, County Galway. / Credit: AugusteBlanqui, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRome Newsroom, Jul 16, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).A team of 18 archaeologists, anthropologists, and forensic scientists have begun excavating an old septic tank this week at the former St. Mary's Mother and Baby Home run by the Bon Secours Sisters in Tuam, County Galway, western Ireland, now the site of a housing development.Over the next two years, according to The Irish Times, an excavating machine will go through the site in search of remains for 796 children allegedly buried, in the words of the Bon Secours Sisters "in a disrespectful and unacceptable way" between 1925 and 1960. The Bon Secours Sisters have released a statement apologizing for the treatment of the deceased babies, and their mothers during that time.The goal of the excavation is to find, analyze, identify, and provide a decent burial for the children's rem...
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Shushu, with her husband Josemi and their son Emmanuel during JEMJ at the Covadonga shrine. / Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/EWTN NewsVatican City, Jul 16, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).Originally from China, Shushu arrived in Spain in 2016 at just 23 years of age with the sole purpose of studying the history of the Spanish language. What she didn't imagine was that she would have a transformative encounter with Christ Crucified, which would lead her to embrace the Catholic faith."We have no merit; it's all because the Lord guides us. His mercy is immense," said Shushu in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, at the shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga in Spain.The young Chinese mother was there with her husband Josemi and son, Emmanuel, to share the testimony of her conversion from atheism to Catholicism before thousands of young people gathered July 4 for the opening of the Marian Eucharistic Youth Day (JEMJ, by its Spanish acronym).It all began on Oct. 31, ...
Heads of churches in Jerusalem visited the town of Taybeh in Ramallah on July 14, 2025. / Credit: Sand Sahiliya
