IN THE beginning, the words were spoken in Jerusalem only. By the end, a chorus of voices filled the Temple Church in London, as, one by one, the congregation joined in saying a prayer for Christians in the Holy Land.
The Archbishop in Jerusalem’s chaplain, Canon Donald Binder, led the prayer from the Roman Catholic Co-Cathedral in Jerusalem, joined by video link to London for a service organised by the charity Friends of the Holy Land.
It was not clear, at first, whether the congregation was supposed to join in. But those at the back of the Temple Church began tentatively to say the words out loud, and the volume grew as others followed suit.
From the front, it sounded like a roll of thunder, gathering force until it filled the church. It was only at the end, the prayer now being recited confidently, that the words became easily intelligible: “Lord, remember our fellow Christians in their greatest need, and help us not to forget them.”
The Temple Church was at capacity for the ecumenical service on Tuesday lunchtime, conceived by Friends of the Holy Land as a celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the opening of the First Council of Nicaea.
But it was also an occasion to remember the plight of today’s inhabitants of the Holy Land, as the late Pope Francis had said in a message to the gathering written days before his death on Easter Monday (News, 21 April).
“By bringing together church leaders and members of the faithful from various traditions, this commendable initiative bears eloquent witness to the rich religious tapestry that characterises the land of our saviour’s birth, and it also calls attention to the enduring desire for peace held dear by its citizens today,” the message said.
The late Pope’s words were read by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols. In Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, read Pope Leo’s first words in office, which focused on peace (News, 9 May).
At the start of his sermon, Cardinal Pizzaballa said that, despite “different traditions, different languages, different rites”, Christians were “altogether united in one body of Christ”. The Nicene Creed, he said, was an “indispensable point of reference” for the Church.
Greek and Armenian church leaders in Jerusalem also participated in the service; representatives of Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal Churches led the intercessions from London.
The former Bishop of London Lord Chartres welcomed participants by saying that the event was one of the “most hopeful and encouraging events” since the consecration of the Temple Church by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Heraclius, in 1185.
Afterwards, at a reception, the Friends’ chief executive, Brendan Metcalfe, said that half the population of the West Bank were reached by the work of Christian-run institutions, including schools, hospitals, and social-outreach programmes.
“These Christian organisations are practising their faith every day, despite the pressures and despite the fact that [the Christian population] is declining,” Mr Metcalfe said.