Jerusalem coadjutor archbishop shares his vision of Middle East peace

Published: 2006-10-26

CLEVELAND (CNS) -- Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem cares deeply about his flock, but his compassion and sense of responsibility stretch beyond the members of his own faith. "My jurisdiction is Palestine, Israel and Jordan and I feel a deep sense of responsibility toward people in all of those countries," he said following an Oct. 13 talk about the state of Christians in the Holy Land at the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Society Services in Cleveland. As coadjutor and as president of Bethlehem University, he is in the position to witness firsthand how the failure of the peace process in the Middle East is taking its toll on the Christians who live there. When asked to describe typical daily challenges, Archbishop Twal said, "Permits. They (Palestinians, both Christians and Muslims) need a permit to get into and out of Bethlehem, to go to work, to go to Jerusalem to pray, to go to the airport or the hospital or to Bethlehem University."

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