Archbishop Speaks of Suffering Christians in Bethlehem Ahead of Pilgrimage

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has shared some of his thoughts on the sufferings of Christians, Jews and Muslims in Bethlehem ahead of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land on Wednesday.

Dr Williams will be joined by fellow leaders of Churches Together in England, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Free Churches Moderator, the Rev David Coffey, and the Primate of the Armenian Church of Great Britain, Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian.

The leaders hope that the pilgrimage to Bethlehem will send a clear message of solidarity to the Christian communities of the Holy Land from the Christian community of the UK.

"We're visiting Christians who suffer terrible economic hardship and daily anxiety about their homes and their security. We'll be alongside people, Christians, Jews and Muslims, whose lives have been wrecked in different ways by terrorism and by the sense that they're hated and feared by each other. We'll be with people who are really desperate to find some sort of hope, some way out of the cycle of violence and insecurity," said Dr Williams.

"And seeing all that simply reminds you that this was also the kind of world into which Jesus was born - because the twisting and turning of human hearts isn't all that different today from what it was 2,000 years ago. God's love came among us at Christians just because we need help from beyond ourselves if we're going to find hope."

Dr Williams urged Christians to think of the four Christian leaders and all the pilgrims who want to travel to Bethlehem, as well as the people of the besieged city itself each time they sing or hear the carol 'O little town of Bethlehem' this Christmas.

"Pray for everyone in Bethlehem and all of the Holy Land who's longing for hope and new beginnings," he said.

Rev Coffey, meanwhile, told Christian Today: "I think part of the reason we are going is to show solidarity with a besieged town. We feel deeply concerned about the suffering that is being caused by the poverty, the unemployment, and the lack of tourists, of Christian pilgrims who go and don't even stay the night."

He added: "I want to go and listen to those who will not leave as I do and enjoy the security I have."

The four leaders will embark on their pilgrimage on Wednesday and hope to be back in the UK on Christmas Eve.

The pilgrimage to the birth place of Jesus Christ is a response to invitations from Christian Churches in the Holy Land.