Holy Land bishops welcome Gaza ceasefire

By Joseph Tulloch

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land has welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, and expressed its hope that the truce will put a permanent end to the “immeasurable suffering” caused by 15 months of war.

In a press release, the Assembly – which is composed of all the Catholic bishops, eparchs and exarchs holding jurisdiction in Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus – did, however, stress that “the end of the war does not mean the end of the conflict”.

What is needed, the Catholic Ordinaries said, is a “long process” to address the “deep-rooted issues” at the heart of the conflict.

In this regard, their press release called on the international community to “develop a clear and just political vision for the post-war period”.

Pilgrims and the Holy Year

The Ordinaries also said that they “eagerly await the return of pilgrims to the Holy Places”.  

Christian pilgrims usually flock all year round to holy sites in Palestine and Israel, but since the outbreak of war in October 2023 they have almost entirely disappeared – with disastrous economic consequences for local economies dependent on tourism.

Finally, the Ordinaries also referenced the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, whose theme is ‘Pilgrims of hope’.

At the beginning of a Jubilee Year “dedicated to hope that does not disappoint,” the Ordinaries wrote, they read the ceasefire as “a sign that reminds us of God's faithfulness.”

You can read the full statement from the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land here.