Anglican Communion News Service

The Anglican Vicar of Nazareth addresses the crowds at the Anglican National Pilgrimage on 30 May

Photo Credit: ACNS

An appeal for the churches in Britain to help bring an end to the inequality and discrimination suffered by Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land was made today by Father Samuel Barhoum, Anglican Vicar of Nazareth.

Preaching at the National Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, Father Samuel requested the church's "solidarity and support so that we can continue with our work, so that we can encourage Christians to remain steadfast."

Thousands of pilgrims packed the streets of the Norfolk village, which was last year voted England's favourite spiritual place in a poll of BBC Radio 4 listeners. Many bishops and clergy joined the pilgrims from all over the country.

Father Barhoum said that matters of peace and justice were central to the everyday life of Palestinians in the Middle East.

A key problem was the issue of emigration. What used to be a Christian town now has only 35% of the population as Christians, and hordes of young people are leaving the Holy Land to find a better and safer life elsewhere.

The annual procession attracts thousands of people each year

Photo Credit: ACNS

"Peace and justice is a condition that cannot be reached unless a person has inner peace, peace with oneself, then peace with God and your fellow human beings. A person has to be convinced of and study peace and justice and then will be able to teach and work for peace an justice," he said in his sermon.

Father Philip North, Administrator of the Shrine, welcomed Father Barhoum and said that he wanted to create stronger and more direct links between Walsingham (known as England's Nazareth) and the Nazareth of Jesus in Upper Galilee.

Walsingham's web site can be found here
www.walsingham.org.uk