The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) held its first ordinary general meeting of the year on Tuesday, March 4, 2015, at the Latin Patriarchal Vicariate in Amman, with the participation for the first time of Bishop Iyad Twal.

In its final statement, the ACOHL noted that “the situation in the Holy Land is difficult, and the consequences of the war are deeply felt in our Christian communities, particularly in Palestine and Israel,” noting that “unemployment, movement restrictions, political and social insecurity, in addition to problems relevant to crime in the Galilee have led to the emigration of numerous Christians.”

The ACOHL endorsed the new governance regulations of Caritas Jordan, in addition to some measures designed to improve the activities of Caritas Cyprus. The bishops pointed out  that “Caritas employees have acted generously to help those in need, whereby efforts are being made to unify standards across all regional Caritas organizations so as to enhance the efficiency of this Catholic Church-affiliated institution.”

Secretary General  for the Christian Schools in Jordan Fr. Ashraf Al-Nimri gave a briefing on the activities of the secretariat, including statistical reports and challenges in maintaining this essential service of the Christian communities. The ACOHL pointed out that these schools “serve as an important meeting and dialogue avenue with the Islamic world,” and stressed the need to “ensure that all Christian schools remain united in the face of certain governmental requirements that make their work difficult.”

 The ACOHL also decided to establish a joint ecclesiastical court in Cyprus in cooperation with the Maronite Church and the Latin Church.

The heads of the Catholic Churches in the Holy Land reiterated their support for Pope Francis, and their unity in prayer for him, entrusting His Holiness to the loving care of the Lord, while pleading with the Lord for providing him with strength, healing, and well-being as he  faces health challenges. The bishops said: “We are confident that the Lord Who hears the cries of His children will respond to our prayers with His mercy.”