Two
Irish bishops will gain “first-hand experience” of the challenges
facing the Christian community in the Holy Land this month.
Joining a delegation of 14 prelates from Europe, America and South
Africa who will travel to the Holy Land between January 12 and 16,
Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin and Bishop William Crean of
Cloyne will meet and speak with Christian communities and elected
officials.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic this week, Bishop Nulty said he was “looking forward immensely” to the visit.
“It will be a first-hand experience both for the Irish Church and
those Church of Western Europe which will be represented,” he said. “It
will be, too, a reaching out to those in need at a time of immense
suffering.”
The Irish bishops will be accompanied during their itinerary by
Eamonn Meehan, executive director of Trócaire who will guide them
through the range of projects it is involved in locally.
“We hope to play a supportive role, not least to the local Church,
but to the projects that Trócaire is involved in,” Bishop Nulty said.
The prelates’ January trip has been, since 1998, an annual event
organised by the bishops’ conference of England and Wales known as of
the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of
the Holy Land and at the invitation of the Assembly of Catholic
Ordinaries of the Holy Land.