Clergy from the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf gathered today for a Zoom meeting organised by Bishop Sean, to hear Archbishop Hosam’s reflections on how we might think theologically about ongoing conflict in the region; how we might pray and how we might offer practical support to those in need. As well as being Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Archbishop Hosam is Bishop of the Diocese of Jerusalem.
Archbishop Hosam described his diocese as “bleeding”. Nowhere is safe; its people are exhausted. Tens of thousands of businesses have closed; tourists and pilgrims come no more. In Gaza, where so many have been killed, the destruction of infrastructure and economic life is total, and there is no escape from the violence.
“In Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and the West Bank, things are very difficult, too,” he said. “In Nablus, Jericho, Bethlehem—all are surrounded by checkpoints.” As also now in Lebanon, there is nowhere to go. Visiting his home parish of St Paul Shefa-Amr with Fr Fuad to celebrate Harvest Sunday, the Archbishop held a Zoom meeting with friends in the US that was twice interrupted when he had to flee to seek shelter. “That is the kind of life we are living now.”
Very small amounts of aid trickle through, including for Al Ahli Hospital, which is run by the Diocese of Jerusalem and is receiving barely any supplies or fuel. Yet, barring a few days, the hospital has managed to function throughout.
“It is important to know that our congregations, our institutions and the people—at large and beyond the Diocese, are facing a lot of difficulties and a lot of challenges. Some of it is financial, but also psychological. There is a lot of anxiety. Gazans cannot leave because there are now basically no exits. But in the West Bank, even in Israel, we are seeing a lot of people leaving their country—not only Jews, but those Christians and Muslims, too, who have an Israeli ID. Over one million out of nine million Israelis have left the country.”
The situation is similar in Lebanon, “where the whole South is being evacuated, including our own families, Christian families in places like Al Masha, where Archdeacon Imad comes from, the whole village has been evacuated, and now, not even a stone is left upon another”, he said.
Archbishop Hosam paid tribute to the resilience of a people who have lived through many wars, although this, he said, was unlike anything seen since the First World War—itself a time of great suffering in the region.
“There is great need on many levels—psychological support, pastoral care. As a Diocese, we carry on with ministry despite everything we see and the pressure on each and everyone’s shoulders, in terms of institutions, in terms of the clergy.”
At the same time, fundraising remains central to the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem, providing for struggling institutions, helping families in need, paying scholarships for young people, all of which requires a huge amount of resources. And while there was always more to do, Archbishop Hosam took heart: “I think we are doing well. Not enough, but well, given the capacity we have as a Diocese: we have been able to provide for all of these institutions over the past year, and we are really happy that we have not had to let go even one of our employees on furlough or on leave. Including at our hospital in Gaza, we are paying the salaries despite the fact that most of the staff are not at the hospital because they have been deported to the south. We are determined to continue to do what we can in terms of providing for the families of the more than 2,000 employees of our institutions.”
There are also huge challenges, especially in the north of Israel, where most of the Diocese of Jerusalem’s schools are not functioning normally, able only to offer online learning—and families have been unable to pay tuition fees.
“The whole system is collapsing,” said Archbishop Hosam. “But as Christians, we continue to have hope, and we are called to be resilient. We are called to be God’s presence in the world. And this is exactly what we are doing right now. Despite everything, people are determined to continue with their ministry. And I have to say that it has proven our people are really tenacious. They are strong, hoping despite everything. This is really a gift that God gives to us: knowing that if we are really challenged, if we are in distress or in trouble, as Paul says in Romans, this produces patience, it produces perseverance and therefore resilience.”
Recalling the Majma (Synod) of the Diocese of Jerusalem held in Jordan in May, Archbishop Hosam reflected on its theme, More than victorious from Romans 8:37. “It was about overcoming,” he said; amidst distress, “it was about presence and resilience”.
“Despite everything, there have been some wonderful highlights over the past year. We had the ordination of Deacon Saleem Kasabreh, celebrated at the Cathedral; graduations and confirmations of young people. So even while it is really tough in and around us, we are determined to carry on: determined to do what we are able for our people, for our churches, for our institutions, to continue with this important work.”
And he thanked Bishop Sean and the clergy and people of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. “Bishop Sean periodically checks in, and we keep in touch to just support each other as bishops,” said Archbishop Hosam. “And I’m grateful to each and every one of you, wherever you are, in the Gulf or in Cyprus or elsewhere. Thank you for your prayers, for your support, and for being companions and sojourners on this path of pilgrimage within the Province.”
Taking questions, the Very Reverend Richard Fermer, Dean of St Christopher’s Cathedral in Bahrain, asked Archbishop Hosam how he spoke “words of truth and peace at a time of heightened tension, when emotions run high and words are twisted”.
“We need to be looking to the day after the war,” said Archbishop Hosam. “We need to continue to work together as Israelis and Palestinians to find the way to a peaceful solution to this crisis we are living in. Even though people criticise the church or whoever speaks that language, we will not stop doing this: this is something we will not be shy to talk about.
“Peacebuilding is something on which heads of churches have some liberty to speak a bit more strongly than others, because we are in a position of leadership,” he said. “But it is important to keep a balance—not only because we want to be diplomatic, but because we want to continue to find ways in which to not cut all connection with different parties in the conflict.”
The Venerable Michael Mbona, Archdeacon in the Gulf, asked whether Archbishop Hosam found the collaboration between Christian churches in their ministry and mission to be stronger or weaker in these difficult times.
“It is both stronger and weaker,” said Archbishop Hosam. “On one level, there is a lot of collaboration between the churches, which is really good. We have had quite a few meetings and issued a number of statements as heads of churches in Jerusalem. But at the same time, each church has its own challenges, and each is busy just trying to survive in the midst of this turmoil. There is a lot of pressure on each and every community in the region here, but certainly, speaking for myself, I don’t feel alone—I don’t feel that I have been deserted, whether internally or beyond the Diocese. There is a lot of support from the communion and from our partners in mission around the globe, who continue to hold the Holy Land in their prayers and the ministry here is on their heart. But we feel that we are still connected with the local churches, we are connected with the local communities for the most part and we are still connected with our partners around the world, who provide a lot of support and, if not physical presence, certainly a spiritual presence within the Diocese.”
The Reverend MD Johnson, Associate Priest at Church of the Epiphany in Doha, asked Archbishop Hosam about the congregations of the Diocese of Jerusalem, whether they were able to come together in worship, and what practical help those of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf might be able to offer.
“Most of the churches gather in person; but sometimes only the priest and the few who live around the church are able to come; sometimes the whole service is cancelled if things are really tense—as happened on the northern border of Israel when the congregation of Christ the King in Tarshiha could not meet,” said Archbishop Hosam. The same had been the case at the church in Acre (Akko/Akka), but a bomb shelter had now been built there and services resumed.
Regarding practical help, Archbishop Hosam was delighted to share news of an Advent appeal to be launched by Bishop Sean in the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.
“A prayer would be the most precious thing,” said Archbishop Hosam. “And when we say ‘prayer’ we mean it in a holistic way, not only saying the words but also acting on our prayer, doing something that would really help achieve the ‘Amen’ that we express in our hearts.”
As a final question, Bishop Sean asked Archbishop Hosam for his reflections on how there might, one day, come to be forgiveness and reconciliation after such violence in the region.
“Clinging to the mission of the church and speaking about ourselves and what we do—looking at the hospital in Gaza, for example, and the fact that it’s still open, is a miracle. This is not the strength of human beings or our own resilience or our own wisdom—although I’m not saying that is not important. But I think the fact that it’s still standing, as we speak, is really God’s confidence: meaning, we have a mission, and the hospital is still standing because it is seen as a place of hope, without being affiliated with any faction. Its sole ministry is to provide healing and healthcare.
“As long as there are people who are committed to peace and reconciliation, there is always hope. It might take a long time; it’s been taking a long time anyway. But the cause is not lost because there are people who are committed. And just as in our earthly pilgrimage we know things will not be perfect, things are not perfect: we do what we ought to do, in our commitment to God’s mission for peace and reconciliation. And it is so difficult—which is why we find people, rather than committing themselves to peace and building trust, becoming more radical and fanatic, because it’s easier: it’s easier to defend yourself when you are fanatic, because you have nothing to defend but your own thinking or your own cause.
“We have chosen the difficult path, and we will cling to it, and I am sure we will find more and more people.
“Once the war is over, there will be more chance to speak about the future, because I think people will come out of this misery thinking, ‘What have we achieved in all of this?’ We have seen so much death, so much violence, so much destruction, so much agony.
“We have to learn from our experiences and look to a future filled with relationships, good relationships, being good neighbours and building trust among each other. This is the only path. I know that now this language is not only foreign, but alien. But they will come. I hope—I hope in our lifetime—that people can really understand that the only way forward is peace in our region.”
