Taybeh – Sanad Sahelia / Nabd El Haya – A high-level delegation from the Holy Land Coordination visited the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, as part of a pastoral and solidarity tour aimed at gaining first-hand insight into the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and strengthening the Church’s presence alongside them.
The delegation was hosted by the Parish of Christ the Redeemer (Latin) in Taybeh, where they were welcomed by the parish priest, Fr. Bashar Fawadleh, together with parish representatives and local residents. The group included bishops and representatives of episcopal conferences from the United States, England and Wales, France, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, the Scandinavian countries, and Lithuania, as well as delegates from the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), alongside representatives of various Catholic organizations. The delegation was led by Bishop Nicholas Hudson of Plymouth, Chair of the International Affairs Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The program of the visit included a Mass, followed by an open meeting with parishioners and a closed session focused on the town’s conditions and challenges. The delegation also met former Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah at the parish compound, before concluding the visit with a tour of St. George’s Church and Beit Afram, the Latin Patriarchate’s home for the elderly in Taybeh.
The Mass was presided over by Bishop Elias Abdallah Zaidan, who, in his homily and address, underscored the importance of the visit as a sign of living ecclesial communion and a message of solidarity with a community facing daily challenges on its own land.
At the end of the Mass, Bishop Nicholas Hudson said: “These are the words the Apostle Paul would say today if he came to visit you: Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We come to you as bishops from different parts of Europe, from Canada, and from the United States, to tell you that we are praying for peace in Taybeh, in Palestine, and throughout the Holy Land. We come to assure you that we have not forgotten you, and to thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. We know that Jesus came here, and Taybeh is a very special place. We come as members of one body, the Body of Christ, to say to you: we pray for peace for you… We come in a spirit of pilgrimage and prayer, to pray for you and with you.”
For his part, Fr. Fawadleh welcomed the delegation, describing the visit as “not an ordinary event, but a true sign of communion in the Church.” He said: “Taybeh may be small in size, but it is great in its mission. It is the last fully Christian town in our land. At the same time, it continues to suffer daily from settler attacks and from the many restrictions imposed by the occupation, which affect every aspect of life and threaten human dignity and the future. The town also endures ongoing emigration due to the lack of job opportunities and the absence of security and stability. Yet, despite all these hardships, our community remains deeply rooted in faith, in the land, and in its Christian witness.”
He added: “Your presence today is essential and fundamental. It raises awareness and contributes to preserving the Christian presence in the land where Christianity was born. You give us strength, hope, and reassurance that we are not alone, that our voice is heard, and that our Church stands with us.”
The visit comes at a time when the challenges facing Taybeh are intensifying, amid repeated attacks on its lands and surrounding areas, and mounting living pressures that drive many to consider emigration. Yet, as their parish priest affirmed, “the people of Taybeh remain steadfast in their faith, in their land, and in their Christian witness at the heart of the Holy Land.”
Background and Significance of the Visit
The visit of the Holy Land Coordination delegation to Taybeh is part of the bishops’ annual tour, taking place this year between 18 and 23 January. The initiative was launched by the Holy See in the late 1990s to coordinate the presence of bishops from around the world in the life of the Church in the Holy Land, in a pastoral and spiritual spirit. Its purpose is to affirm that the Christian community here is not forgotten, and that the universal Church is fully aware of its circumstances and challenges.
The tour brings together bishops representing episcopal conferences from several European and American countries, alongside delegates from continental ecclesial bodies and Catholic organizations. This year’s meetings focus on the current situation in the Holy Land and its impact on Christians in Gaza and the West Bank, and on how the Church can respond to people’s needs so as to remain a light and a beacon of hope.
The Coordination rests on four core pillars: prayer, pilgrimage, moral advocacy in defense of human dignity and justice for all, and presence. Prayer establishes the spiritual framework; pilgrimage supports the local community and encourages believers to return to the Holy Land; advocacy is expressed through engagement with governments and parliaments. As for the annual presence of the bishops, it remains the clearest message that the Church in the Holy Land lives at the heart of the universal Church—and that its people here are not alone in their daily witness.