The Presbyterian Church in Canada joins in prayer for the people of Palestine and Israel as they face war, danger and uncertainty.
Christian Leaders Urge Canada to End Cycle of Violence in Israel and Palestine
Gathering for the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Ottawa on May 22, Christian leaders urged Canada to help end the cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine. Starting at Minto Park, participants marched on Parliament Hill, where they gathered for a vigil, followed by a news conference.
You can learn more here and see photos of the event here .
During a news conference, church leaders from across Canada urged the federal government to support a ceasefire in Gaza and sustainable peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. In attendance are Rev. Carmen Lansdowne (moderator of the United Church of Canada), Rev. Susan Johnson (national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada), Leah Reesor-Keller (transitional executive director of KAIROS Canada), Rev. Andrew Asbil (bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto), and Doug Klassen (executive minister with Mennonite Church Canada). The news conference was recorded and is available to view here .
The Hill Times (May 22, 2024 issue) published the following Op-Ed by Leah Reesor-Keller, MA, Transitional Executive Director, KAIROS Canada, the Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of The United Church of Canada, and the Rev. Dr. J. Dorcas Gordon, Principal Emerita, Knox College, The Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage: Canadian Churches for Just Peace
Join us today and in the weeks to come in the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage: Canadian Churches for Just Peace! Thousands of Canadian Christians have already, throughout Lent, walked, rolled, and prayed together for an enduring and sustained ceasefire between Israel and Hamas; an immediate flow of life-saving food, water, aid, fuel and humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the release of all captives; and the end of occupation so a just-peace can begin.
This global ecumenical movement of prayerful solidarity with the people of Gaza and with Palestinian and Israeli partners on the road to justice and peace continues. In your local communities, participate in the Pilgrimage by organizing/attending events, walking, praying, and letting others know. Learn more and share your events, experiences and photos with KAIROS Canada, lead organizer (https://www.kairoscanada.org/gaza-ceasefire-pilgrimage ).
You are also invited to join us in Ottawa on Parliament Hill on May 22nd if you are able.
Easter Reflection: “Be Agents of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation”
Three months ago, it was dark in Bethlehem at Christmas, and the city was in darkness and fear. The angels’ song, “Peace on earth, goodwill to all people,” was hard to fathom amid the violence.
This is Holy Week, and our attention shifts from Bethlehem and its surrounding hills to Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, and the place called Golgotha. And the violence continues. For centuries, pilgrims have come to Jerusalem to mark the events of Holy Week, wave palm branches, pray at Gethsemane, lament on the Mount of Olives, and trace Jesus’s steps along the stations of the cross. This year, Palestinian Christians from the West Bank were prevented by Israeli authorities from entering the occupied city of Jerusalem to participate in Palm Sunday devotions. Christian Palestinians are required to obtain special permits to pass through military checkpoints surrounding Jerusalem and go to places of worship, especially the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Prayer and Advocacy
- Wear white, symbolizing peace.
- Participate in the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage initiative .
- Affirm the eight core convictions of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage
- Donate to Gaza Relief through PWS&D
- Saturday, March 30, 2024 – Land Day (Palestine): encourage people to plant a tree in memory of all the Palestinian and Israeli children who have died in the violence. You can also donate to the Olive Tree campaign.
Graffiti in Bethlehem. Credit: PCC
Amid war, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have called “upon our congregations to stand strong with those facing such afflictions, by this year foregoing any unnecessarily festive activities.” The statement notes that while, under normal circumstances, displays of light would mark the birth of Christ, this year is marked with the loss of thousands of lives, including women and children, with many grieving “the loss of their homes, their loved ones, or the uncertain fate of those dear to them.” The statement also invites “the faithful to advocate, pray, and contribute generously as they are able for the relief of the victims of this war and for those in dire need, as well as to encourage others to join them in this mission of mercy”. This call and others have resulted in the cancellation of all public festivities and decorations to mark the season. Read more
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian farmers residing in the West Bank are gearing up for their olive tree planting season. The fields have been prepared for the orchards since before October of this year. The Joint Advocacy Initiative (initiated by our local partners, the East Jerusalem YWCA/YMCA), which oversees the campaign, has confirmed that the planting will proceed despite security concerns. However, the number of trees planted will be reduced to 15,000. The farmers will handle the planting themselves. The Presbyterian Church in Canada has sponsored the planting of 261 trees in Bethlehem and Hebron between 2022 and 2023. The PCC is accepting donations for the Olive Tree Campaign and you can contribute to this campaign, which will help Palestinian farmers to replant their destroyed olive orchards.
Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) is planning humanitarian assistance that will be provided through members of the ACT Alliance. PWS&D’s humanitarian response will assist with shelter, food, livelihoods, emergency health, psychosocial and mental health support, as well as cash assistance to allow people to purchase the goods they require.
Children in the West Bank and Gaza also wish to grow up. The Defence for Children – Palestine defends children’s rights by offering free legal aid, documenting violations of international law and advocating for greater protections.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada asks that people pray for all who are affected and threatened and for an end to violence and a just peace in the land of Christ’s birth.
God of truth, mercy and peace,
God of life and of reconciliation,
we mourn the suffering and murder of your people
and we pray for a just peace
and reconciliation for the people of Palestine and Israel
who have endured the burden of violence and conflict for so long.
Console those who grieve,
heal the injured,
comfort those who are alone and afraid,
protect those who are held hostage, and
restrain those who would cause more violence
or act cynically for political gain and power.
Let wisdom settle on your churches
and on the governments and leaders of this world
so that justice is sought,
reconciliation found,
peace established and
security provided for all.
In the name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
STATEMENTS AND LETTERS SIGNED BY THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA
The Presbyterian Church in Canada has joined the call by 16 global humanitarian and human rights organizations demanding all UN member states halt arms transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups fuelling the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Read more about the open call here.
The ACT Alliance Canada (ACT Canada), of which Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) is a member, has written to the Government of Canada to “take immediate steps to provide leadership in bringing an end to the suffering. We declare, ‘Enough is Enough!’ We welcome an opportunity to meet with you and other officials to work together to put this declaration into concrete actions.”
View or download the letter:View or download the letter:In response to the spiralling violence, they have issued an ecumenical statement, A Cry to End the Violence and to uphold the rights of all civilians to life and freedom from violence and discrimination. In it, they write:
“We join the voices of those in the region and others in Canada and internationally in urging the Canadian Government to support a ceasefire and a negotiated resolution to this violence. The pain and tragedy of the growing numbers of civilian lives, Israeli and Palestinian, lost in the violence to date are evidence of the need for an immediate ceasefire, not an escalation of violence.”
View or download the full statement:PREVIOUS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTIONS AND ENDORSEMENTS
This page chronicles principles the General Assembly has endorsed or actions it has taken related to Israel and Palestine:
https://presbyterian.ca/justice/social-action/human-rights/human-rights-in-the-middle-east/
ECUMENICAL CHURCH STATEMENTS
- An open letter to Palestinian Christians from Christians in Canada in response to “An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians.” Read more
- The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, on 8-14 November, released a statement that demands an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Palestine and Israel. https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-demands-immediate-ceasefire-humanitarian-corridors-in-palestine-and-israel
- In an earlier statement, church leaders in the Holy Land raised their united voices and called for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians and respect for human rights. https://www.oikoumene.org/news/church-leaders-in-holy-land-call-for-de-escalation-respect-for-human-rights (published October 12, 2023).
- The World Council of Churches (WCC), of which the PCC is a member, also issued an urgent appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, condemning any acts that target civilians, regardless of nationality, ethnicity or faith.
https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-urgently-appeals-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-israel-and-palestine (published October 7, 2023). - The statement from the Patriarch and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem on the current devastating situation in Gaza can be read here: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/blog/2023/10/13/statement-of-the-patriarchs-and-heads-of-the-churches-in-jerusalem-on-the-escalating-humanitarian-crisis-in-gaza/ (published October 13, 2023).
PARENTS CIRCLE FAMILY FORUM (PCFF)
The PCC’s recipient of the Cutting Edge of Mission Award for 2023, Parents Circle Family Forum, wrote in the earliest days of the violence that the “relentless cycle of conflict has inflicted immeasurable pain and suffering on innocent lives. It is a time of great sorrow, knowing that countless families now bear the burden of emptiness in their hearts and the heavy weight of grief due to the tragic loss of their loved ones.” The Forum is made up of parents, both Israeli and Palestinian, who have lost children due to the ongoing conflict. You can watch the videos of the presentation during the 2023 General Assembly and the two recipients of the award on behalf of PCFF, Laila AlSheIkh and Robi Damelin .
In the earliest hours of the unfolding conflict, the PCC received a statement from Parents Circle Family Forum (PCFF) on behalf of its co-directors, saying:
“The toll of violence is not just counted in numbers; it is measured in the shattered dreams, the untapped potential, and the irreplaceable bonds severed by these horrifying actions. The victims, both seen and unseen, deserve our unwavering support and empathy as they grapple with the profound trauma inflicted upon them.”
“It is an undeniable truth that the time has come to change the situation. This region has endured too much pain, too much bloodshed, and too many tears. It is a moment for all parties involved to reflect on the senselessness of this continued conflict and to recognize the shared humanity that binds us all.”
“Let us remember that violence begets violence, and the only way forward is through peaceful dialogue, diplomacy, and a commitment to finding common ground. It is a call to action for leaders, communities, and individuals alike to seek solutions that prioritize reconciliation, justice, and lasting peace.”