SCOBA Statement on the Crisis in the Holy Land

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:7)

In  the  midst  of  this  holy season of Great Lent, our souls are troubled deeply  by  the  escalation  of  hostilities in the land where our Lord has walked,  where  the  shadow  of the Prince of Peace, moved upon the ancient roads of Israel.

In  one  voice,  we,  the hierarchs of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox  Bishops in America, address this appeal to the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, for reconciliation, justice and peace in the Holy  Land.  To every Palestinian and Israeli citizen who is praying for an end  to  the  violence,  we extend to you the prayers and solidarity of our faithful in America.

Churches,  mosques  and  temples  are constructed as houses of prayer.  The desecration  and  destruction  of these sacred buildings, historic edifices and  treasures of humanity, cannot be tolerated and must cease immediately. We  urge a halt to all aggression against all religious sites.  We urge for freedom  of  access to the faithful and religious leaders  related to their places of worship.

We  deplore  the  unprecedented  escalation  of violence, and the senseless destructions of lives and infrastructures.

In  unison  we  raise our voice of supplication to the Government of Israel and  to  the Palestinian Authority for a cessation of actions that bring violence  and  death to innocent people.  We issue our supplication because we  agree  with  our  brothers, the Heads of Churches in the Holy Land, who indicated  in  their  most  recent  letter  that  the key to any future and lasting peace is in the hands of the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority.  After  eighteen  months  of death and destruction, leaders from both  sides  must  see  that  war  and  violence  has settled nothing. Only meaningful  negotiation  between  Palestinians and Israelis alike, whom God has  destined  to  live as partners in this holy place, can ensure a future promising  security,  justice  and  peace  in  a  land  where  three  great monotheistic religions are called to coexist.

As  we  Orthodox  Christians prepare for the coming of Pascha, the Feast of Feasts,  our Lenten prayer is for peace in the Holy Land. To our Christian, Jewish  and  Muslim  friends  living  through  this horror, we cry with the Psalmist who wrote, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love  you.  Peace  be  within  your walls, and security within you towers.' (Psalm 122:6).

Peace and Love to all and for all

+ Archbishop DEMETRIOS, Chairman
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 

+ Metropolitan THEODOSIUS
 Orthodox Church in America

+ Metropolitan PHILIP, Vice Chairman
Antiochian  Orthodox Christian
Archdiocese of North America

+ Metropolitan JOSEPH, Locum tenens
Romanian  Orthodox
Archdiocese in America and Canada

+ Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER, Secretary
Serbian  Orthodox  Church  in the USA and Canada

+ Metropolitan JOSEPH
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

+ Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos
American  Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA

+ Metropolitan CONSTANTINE
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA