The House of Bishops met on the afternoon of Monday 17 May and the morning of Tuesday 18 May remotely via Zoom and congratulated Archbishop Hosam on becoming the Archbishop of Jerusalem. The House also supported the statement made by Bishop Christopher the Bishop of Southwark, who was present at the installation.
The House prayed for peace and justice across the Middle East and noted with sadness the hostilities taking place at present.
Archbishop Hosam has asked for support for the Al Ahli Hospital, an Anglican project, which serves all who are sick and are brought to their doors and is in desperate need of funds.
The House noted with real concern incidents of antisemitism in this country and condemns all such incidents and prays for building communities in the nation.
The statement reads:
The House of Bishops of the Church of England congratulate the Most Reverend Hosam Naoum on his installation, on Ascension Day, as Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem.
We commend the statement Archbishop Hosam has issued on the Eruption of Violence in the Holy Land.
We support the call by Archbishop Hosam and other Christian leaders in the Holy Land for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the restoration of order and calm in those parts of Israel where there has been inter-communal violence, and urgent efforts to address underlying injustices and grievances without which lasting peace with justice for all the peoples of the Holy Land cannot be secured.
We express solidarity in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the whole region, in the words of the prayer which concludes Archbishop Hosam’s statement:
Almighty and everlasting God: our times are in your hands; we lift up all those in the Holy Land who are victims of violence and injustice, that you might empower your Church to bring healing to the wounded, relief to the suffering, and comfort to those who mourn; we pray also that you would soften the hearts of all those involved in the recent conflicts, that they would be led to work for a just and lasting peace in the land where your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, first came to bring hope to all people; these things we asking in his Holy Name. Amen.
