Annual Collection Supports Holy Sites and Communities Living in
the Region
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY, February 27, 2013 thanks to Zenit.org – In a letter sent to Bishops
around the world, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern
Churches, made an appeal for the Good Friday Collection in support of the Holy
Land. The people of the Holy Land, along with with their pastors he said, “
live the mystery of Christ, Crucified and Risen for the salvation of mankind.”
“On account of its ecclesial dimension, this ancient duty is an
ever gratifying opportunity. As Easter approaches, it is all the more
appropriate as an expression of the faith that the Church, under the guidance
of Pope Benedict XVI, is intensely living, on the 50th anniversary of the
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.”
Cardinal Sandri stated that Vatican II opened the Church to the
world, while maintaining the tradition that comes from the Christian origins.
The Holy Land, he said, “ is the silent witness and living custodian, thanks to
the Latin communities of the Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem and the
Franciscan Custody, as also to the Melkite, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, Copt
and Chaldean faithful active there”.
Citing the words of Blessed John XXIII and the Servant of God Paul
VI, Cardinal Sandri emphasized the cruciality of mankind’s dignity and desire
for peace. The examples of past popes to present have shown the importance the
Holy Land has in the Christian faith. Recalling Blessed John Paul II’s words
after his visit to Israel, Cardinal Sandri stated that the late pope described
his visit as “a moment of brotherhood and peace, [to be remembered] as one
of the most beautiful gifts of the whole Jubilee event.”
Cardinal Sandri went on to say that the assistance that comes from
the annual Good Friday collection maintains not only the Holy Sites but also
the communities that dwell around them.
“Together with institutes of men and women religious, the funds
collected provide immediate relief to the catastrophic consequences of war and
other emergencies,” he said. “Through a qualified network of pastoral,
educational and health care specialists, these resources come to the aid of
families, often saving lives that have been rejected: the old, the sick, and
the disabled. In addition, aid is provided to those without work and to youth
in search of a brighter future. In every case, the collection seeks to build up
human rights, especially the right to religious liberty.”
The prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches also
applauded the ecumenical and inter-religious efforts in the region to aid in
promoting peace and unity among people of all faiths in the Holy Land.
Concluding his letter, Cardinal Sandri thanked all the faithful
for the support they have offered to the Holy Land with the annual collection.
“These have earned the gratitude of the Supreme Pastor of the Church and ours,
too, for by their faithful witness in the midst of suffering, they remind the
world of the consoling promise of the Risen One,” he said.