Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne has said he was deeply shaken by witnessing the situation of Christians in the Holy Land, calling for support and stating that the world “cannot ignore what is happening”. The comments came as part of the cardinal’s three-day visit to the Holy Land from August 24 to 27.
The visit saw Cardinal Woelki travel to Taybeh, the last Christian village in Palestine. The village has come under repeated attacks by settlers which has drawn international attention. While there, he spoke with the owner of a cement factory, who told him that the settlers had destroyed its machines and equipment and vandalised vehicles. The owner said the attack led to the loss of 40 families’ livelihoods who had relied on the factory for their employment.
Nabd Al-Hayat, a Christian Palestinian platform, reported that he emphasised the need for the people of the village, and particularly the youth, to be able to remain on the land, and encouraged them to hold on to hope.
Cardinal Woelki said: "We have received your message, we have heard your distress, and that is why we are here. We have come to stand by you, work with you, and express our solidarity in these difficult circumstances."
Reflecting on his visit, he said the situation Christians are facing had “shaken” him deeply. “In the West Bank, Christian communities live under constant pressure from extremist settlers, through acts of sabotage, arson, and physical violence,” he said.
“People here live in a state of fear, and many of them have already left the country. In addition, there are economic difficulties, unemployment, and a lack of prospects in the West Bank and Jerusalem, especially among the youth."
He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality he received and stated that the Christians were “brave in not giving up, but rather staying in the Holy Land despite the difficult circumstances they live in."
“When you meet people, you can feel how close they are to the limits of their ability to cope. They need support, and the world cannot ignore what is happening. As a Church, we have a responsibility to stand by those who are being harassed and pushed to the margins,” he said.
“We must clearly name these circumstances, when people are subjected in a methodical manner to intimidation, economic destruction, and the restriction of their freedoms. We must convey this testimony to politicians in Germany, as well as to our citizens.”
The cardinal said that the Christians of the Holy Land would remain in his prayers.
Last month, Pope Leo XIV called for an end to “the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population”. Speaking following his Sunday recitation of the Angelus, he urged the international community to work towards a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, adding that it should be done “for a just and lasting peace”.
A few days before, Bishop James Curry called on the Israeli government to “find a way of protecting the legitimate communities from settler violence” as it declared Taybeh a closed military zone.
The town has suffered repeated attacks from Israeli settlers, including arson and home break-ins. Last year, settlers set fire near the Church of St George, the site of which dates to the 5th century, and the Byzantine-era cemetery. In June, Israeli settlers prevented locals from putting out a large blaze near the village.
On August 5, Israeli settlers broke into the house of a Catholic family in Taybeh and, according to the village’s parish priest, Fr Bashar Fawadleh, they occupied the land, brought a flock of sheep right up to the house and cut through the fencing.
