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APPEAL to the Government
of Israel through its Foreign Ministry and Embassy from the
Council of Oriental
Orthodox Churches of Great Britain.
As leaders of our
respective Coptic, Syrian, Ethiopian, Indian, Eritrean and Armenian
Christian communities in
Great Britain, we have been following with serious concern the
disturbing news that the
Israeli authorities have seized lands belonging to the Armenian
Orthodox Patriarchate in
the Holy Land. As sister Churches, as much as members of the
Oriental Orthodox
Council of Great Britain, we are disturbed that the trusts of the
Armenian
Patriarchate are being
threatened by this seizure last week.
We pray fervently that
this illegal and injudicious episode will be resolved equitably so
that
the lands in question in
Bethlehem will be returned promptly to the Armenian Church as
their legal, rightful
and historical owners. As such, the invocation of the biblical
Prophets to
pursue justice and
herald peace will be realised once again.
We also stand in
solidarity with all our brothers in Christ in the Holy Land as we
share today
their daily concerns.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches have enjoyed a time-long presence
in the Holy Land and
have fulfilled their witness since the early ages. We therefore pray
with
the Armenian Orthodox
Church as well as all our communities in the lands of the Nativity
and Resurrection of our
Lord and Saviour so that 'peace will finally dawn on this land of
peace' and that their
trials and tribulations will cease so that hope regains their hearts
and
revisits their minds
once more.
METROPOLITAN SERAPHIM
British Orthodox Church within the
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
BISHOP ANGAELOS
Coptic Orthodox Church
BISHOP NATHAN
Armenian Orthodox Church
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