wfn.org | ELCA, Episcopal Church Top Leaders Ask Israel About Bishops' Denied Visit

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Title: ELCA, Episcopal Church Top Leaders Ask Israel About Bishops' Denied Visit
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>February 5, 2009  

ELCA, Episcopal Church Top Leaders Ask Israel About Bishops' Denied Visit
09-036-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The top leaders of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church
sent a letter to Israel's ambassador to the United States
expressing "grave concern" and requesting help to determine
why a Lutheran bishop and an Episcopal bishop were denied
entry to Gaza Feb. 4.

The Feb. 5 letter from the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA
presiding bishop, and the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori,
presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, was sent to Sallai
Meridor, ambassador of Israel, in Washington, D.C.

On Feb. 4, the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
(ELCJHL), and the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese in Jerusalem and the Middle East, were
part of a delegation of five heads of churches in Jerusalem
who traveled to visit Christians in Gaza. Three members of
the delegation were allowed to enter Gaza, but Israeli
security officials denied entry to Younan and Dawani.

According to an ELCJHL news release, Younan and Dawani
were the only Palestinians in the delegation.  Both said
they had obtained permits from Israeli officials to enter
Gaza.

"The purpose of their visit was pastoral -- to visit
churches, humanitarian projects of the Middle East Council
of Churches and the Al Ahli Hospital, an institution of the
Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem," the two U.S. presiding
bishops wrote. "We are concerned that they were not allowed
freedom of movement into Gaza to carry out their pastoral
responsibilities."

"We believe that it is urgent that adequate humanitarian
assistance reach the people of Gaza immediately, and we
underscore Bishop Dawani's statement that 'most certainly
pastoral care is an important factor in such services,'"
Hanson and Jefferts Schori wrote.

The presiding bishops wrote that they support their
partner bishops and churches in their Christian ministry,
and they share their continued commitment to work for peace
in the region.  Statements from Younan and Dawani, following
their denial of entry, reaffirmed their commitments to work
for peace in Gaza, the presiding bishops wrote.

"We hope that, having discovered the cause of their
denial, you will assure that they will be permitted to enter
as soon as possible to offer support and pastoral care to
the people they serve," the presiding bishops' letter
concluded.

Copies of the letter were sent to U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell, U.S. special
envoy for Middle East peace.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news