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Bishop Jim Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and Bishop Stephen Wright, Chair of Trustees, CAFOD, have voiced their support for the Just Peace Coalition’s Time to Act campaign which launched on Monday 22 June.

Across Palestine and Israel, communities are living through devastating violence, loss and injustice. Palestinian Christians have called on the global Church to respond not with silence or despair, but with courage, compassion, and action. The Just Peace Coalition brings together churches and Christian organisations across the UK to respond to that call. Together, they are inviting individuals, churches, and communities to commit to working and praying for a just peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

The Time to Act campaign has been organised by the Just Peace Coalition and promotes a shared commitment for justice, peace and human dignity, calling for “a just peace for all who call the Holy Land home.” It encourages people to collectively raise their voices, for example by writing to their local Member of Parliament, to speak out against injustice and advocate for change.

In a message of endorsement, Bishop Jim Curry said:

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“The Holy Land is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. It needs be a place where the dignity of every person is recognised and protected. Lasting peace can only be built on a foundation of equal human and civil rights; justice and mutual respect for all. Israelis, Palestinians and people of every religious belief and understanding.

“I warmly support the ‘Time to Act’ campaign and the call for a future in which every person can live peacefully, free of violence and intimidation, knowing that their God-given dignity is upheld. It is vital that our Government listens to those calling on the international community to help bring about a just peace and ensure that international law is respected and upheld.”

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Bishop Stephen Wright, Chair of Trustees of CAFOD, which is a member of the Just Peace Coalition, echoed this call, saying:

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“In his recent encyclical Magnifica humanitas, Pope Leo reminds us that ‘all of us, at every level, can contribute to building the foundation of peace, which is justice. We do not merely seek any kind of peace — such as an absence of conflict at any cost — but instead, the true peace born of justice’.

“‘Time to Act’ offers an opportunity for all of us to play our part in responding to the call to work urgently for a just peace in the Holy Land.”

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Source: CBCEW