The Most Rev Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool, has today sent a letter expressing prayerful support to Fr Musallam and the Christian community in Gaza.

Full Text

Dear Father Musallam,

Reading the account in the Acts of the Apostles of Philip’s journey from Jerusalem towards Gaza, and his evangelising of Jesus, based on the suffering servant song from the prophet Isaiah, will never be the same for me again since I visited Gaza in January with bishops from Europe and North America, as part of our determination to pray, reflect and walk with our Lord’s followers in the Holy Land.

The vibrancy of the Christian community affected all your visitors deeply.

I know I write in the name of them all and the Roman Catholics in this country to assure you that Gaza has been held constantly in prayer in these days. For myself there is the constant clash of images: the children of Gaza, who greeted us with song and dancing, and the violent images of civil strife, fear and cries of revenge.

During the last few days we have welcomed three visitors from Nablus here in Liverpool and they have helped many of us to open our hearts to the Holy Land and especially to our sisters and brothers in our Lord.

“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:2)

+Patrick Kelly

Archbishop of Liverpool
Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales