Christian Leaders in Jerusalem Call for Prayer, Pilgrimage for Holy Week
by JNS.org
Christian leaders in Jerusalem have called on the world’s Christians to make pilgrimages to Israel and to pray for the region’s Christians in a joint statement issued during the Christian Holy Week.
The leaders instructed Christians to “walk with the living stones of this land, following in the footsteps of the Risen Christ,”Catholic World News reported.
The Christian leaders also called on the world to pray for the safety of Mideast Christians amid the region’s growing instability as a result of the uprisings in the Arab world and increasing Islamic fundamentalism.
“We especially pray for Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and all those places suffering political upheaval,” they said.
They Christian leaders called for special prayers for “all violence and oppression, for prisoners, for those who live without security, fugitives, and refugees, especially those here in our land.”
Thousands of Christian pilgrims are expected to arrive in Jerusalem this week to celebrate the Christian holidays of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, in accordance with the to the Western Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter in early May.
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