As the Israeli-Hamas war continues, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a call for a global day of prayer and fasting on Tuesday, October 17.
They say: “Our beloved Holy Land has changed dramatically over the past week.
“We are witnessing a new cycle of violence with an unjustifiable attack against all civilians.
“Tensions continue to rise and more innocent and vulnerable people are paying the ultimate price as the dramatic level and death and destruction in Gaza clearly show.”
The Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, the Most Revd Hosam Naoum, Vice Chair of the Anglican Communion Standing Committee, is a member of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem group.
In his own statement, he said: “We pray without ceasing for justice, reconciliation, peace, and an end to hatred and war.
“We also pray for God to change the hearts of all leaders and decision-makers in our countries and around the world, for we are in dire need or hearts that love, show mercy, and are willing to live in unity with others – hearts that respect human dignity and choose life rather than death.”
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Anthony Poggo, has endorsed the call for a day of prayer and fasting, and is calling on Anglicans around the world to take part, saying: “Archbishop Hosam, and his ecumenical colleagues in the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches group, are in the front line of the Christian response to the ongoing catastrophe in Israel and the Gaza strip.
“I join them in calling on Christians around the world to join together in prayer and fasting on Tuesday 17 October, in the words of Archbishop Hosam, “for justice, reconciliation, peace, and an end to hatred and war.””
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