ACOHL meets in Nazareth

The Assembly, which gathers together all the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus) held its bi-annual meeting in Nazareth, at the Abuna Faraj House. Present were most of the members of the Assembly, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, his five Vicars: Bishops Shomali (Jerusalem), Marcuzzo (Nazareth), Lahham (Amman) and Fathers Herrera-Dias (Cyprus) and Neuhaus (Hebrew Speakers) as well as three emeriti, Patriarch emeritus Michel Sabbah and Bishops Sayegh and Bathish. Alongside them was Father Pizzaballa, head of the Franciscans. The three Greek Catholic Archbishops: Chacour (Galilee), Zreyi (Jerusalem) and Al-Ayyash (Amman) as well as emeritus Archbishop Mouallem were present. Syrian Bishop Melki and Chaldean Father Moussali were there too. Father Chihane represented the Maronites who await the naming of a bishop. In attendance were also the Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem, Archbishop Antonio Franco, and the Nuncio to Jordan and Iraq, Archbishop Giorgio Lingua. Absent was the Armenian representative because of a Synod of the Armenian bishops. The meeting was organized by the secretary of the Assembly, Father Pietro Felet.

Each ordinary was invited to share what is happening within his area of jurisdiction.

The assembly discussed many different subjects that touch on the life of the Catholics in the Holy Land:

- the desire to unite the celebration of Easter (Orthodox and Catholics celebrate according to two different calendars)

- continuing formation for the priests

- the setting up of a media committee for the Catholic Church

- a program for the "year of Faith"

- the meeting of families with the pope in Milan

- work with the youth.

During the meeting, Father Guy Tardivy of the Dominican Fathers presented a lecture on the theme of the next Synod in Rome – the new evangelization.

In the evening of Tuesday, March 13,, the bishops visited the new International Center Mary of Nazareth.

On the morning of March 14, the bishops participated in a mass with children from the Catholic schools in Galilee and at the end of the mass there was the occasion for the children to meet the bishops.