Cardinal Koch in the Holy Land

Cardinal Koch is paying his second official visit to the Holy land since his appointment in 2010. He has come to visit and consult with the heads of the Christian Churches and has also met with important Jewish figures engaged in the dialogue with the Catholic Church.

In the evening of May 23, Cardinal Koch was welcomed by the various heads of Churches at an official reception, hosted by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Franco. There Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal gave official addresses of welcome. The Cardinal also heard from Palestinian lay people on the state of the ecumenical dialogue in the Holy Land and the difficult political situation.

On May 24, the Apostolic Nuncio hosted a lunch for Cardinal Koch with the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land. Over lunch, each ordinary present was able to describe the reality and complexity of the Local Church. Father David presented the Saint James Vicariate and the ecumenical and interreligious challenges it faces.

In the evening of May 24, Cardinal Koch gave a public lecture, hosted by various Jewish organizations. He spoke on the state of Jewish-Catholic relations 50 years after Nostra Aetate.