Anglican Communion News Service

As the primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion gathered for their week-long meeting in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by Archbishop of Canterbury George L. Carey, spiritual leader of the Communion, to a city "where dreams collide."

Speaking March 11 to a packed congregation of church leaders and representatives of the diplomatic community at Evensong at St. George's Cathedral, Archbishop Carey said, "Here in this great city which has endured many occupations, many violent sieges, many devout and good people have echoed the Psalmists' cry: O pray for the peace of Jerusalem."

The Archbishop said that he and other "sympathetic outsiders" are keenly aware of the "justified longings of the two peoples of this land." He pointed to the sufferings of the Jewish peoples during their "long and terrible journey," and to the Palestinians "whose journey also has been one of suffering." He emphasized that "there can be no justice for one part of the human family without justice for another."

Archbishop Carey added, "In this small and historic stretch of land, a powerful clash of dreams is taking place. They are not simply dreams of having a legitimate home; they go much deeper than that, reaching into the further recesses of the soul."

"As we gather in Jerusalem from many different parts of the world, we do not come with ready-made answers," the Archbishop said. "Jerusalem is a microcosm of issues and challenges that the Anglican Communion has to wrestle with" in places like Northern Ireland, Rwanda, the Sudan and elsewhere." Yet there are places, like South Africa, where people of faith have made a difference. "Wherever in our world there is conflict, wherever cultures and creeds clash, Christians should be there at the heart of reconciliation."

The search for peace, he warned, will be "a costly business fraught with danger," complicated by the fact that "religion and culture are often inseparable."

When dreams collide "the only solution is an honourable compromise but that equally means seeking to understand the longings and hopes of other peoples," Archbishop Carey contended. "We look on with anguish as new actions on either side appear to undermine the peace process." He pointed to the controversial decision by the Israelis to build new settlements in East Jerusalem as an example.

The archbishop deplored "extremist groups who murder innocent people and justify it in the name of religion. There can be no peace anywhere if violence is used to threaten and browbeat others. Jews and Palestinians, with the support of the world community, must defeat those minority groups on both sides for whom peace is only acceptable if their cause is victorious," he said.

The Archbishop pointed out that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. "It is a reminder that the God of love whom we worship does not stand aloof from human misery but seeks to liberate and free those who are oppressed," he concluded.

At the service, the Rt Revd Samir Kafity, bishop of the host Diocese of Jerusalem, greeted each of the world Anglican primates individually during the exchange of the peace and introduced Archbishop Carey to the congregation. He praised the decision of the primates to come to Jerusalem, the "mother city of the Christian faith" as their presence symbolised their solidarity with the Palestinian church.

Article by James Solheim, Episcopal News Service USA
Jim Rosenthal, ACNS, London, contributed to this article