THE Archbishop of Canterbury, who is on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this week, has met Layan Nasir, the 26-year-old Palestinian Anglican who, over the past five years, has spent three periods in Israeli administrative detention and prison (News, 19 May).
Archbishop Mullally began the five-day trip to Palestine and Israel on Saturday, at the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum. Lambeth Palace said that the trip was “a pilgrimage of prayer and solidarity” with Palestinian Christians in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, and Israel.
Together, the Archbishops were “seeking to encourage those who live, work and worship in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem”, Lambeth Palace said. Archbishop Mullally was making the pastoral visit “to express prayerful solidarity with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the wider Palestinian Christian community”.
The pilgrimage includes visits to Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem as well as Birzeit, Ms Nasir’s home town, where Archbishop Mullally preached at St Peter’s Church on Sunday.
Ms Nasir’s parents, Lula and Sami, welcomed the Archbishop to their home. Archbishop Mullally prayed with Ms Nasir and assured her of the prayers of many in the Church of England.
Meeting Ms Nasir had been “a great joy”, Archbishop Mullally said afterwards. “I’m grateful to Layan’s family for their hospitality in their home. I will pray for them, and for God’s blessing and healing for Layan after the terrible ordeal of her incarceration,” she continued. “I pray for the release of all people who have been unjustly imprisoned, here in Palestine and Israel and around the world.”
During the service — the first visit of an Archbishop of Canterbury to the Palestinian Christian town — Archbishop Mullally thanked the Rector, Fr Fadi Diab, and the congregation for their hospitality. She acknowledged the cost for them and their families of living in the occupied West Bank.
Lambeth PalaceArchbishop Mullally with the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum
She said that she would use her position as Archbishop to seek “the peace you desire and the freedom you deserve”.
In her sermon, Archbishop Mullally spoke of the call to live faithfully in times of fear, trusting in the promises of Christ. Christian hope was an act of resistance, she said.
“And your faithful, hopeful resistance is also visible as fathers and mothers navigate the web of checkpoints daily to provide an income for their family, or to get their children to school to provide for their future, or as you gather to break bread together week by week in this church. All these acts of faithful resistance point to our hope in Jesus Christ and reflect your ongoing struggle for freedom and dignity.”
After the service, the Archbishop also spent time with the parents of Natalie Abuddayeh, a Lutheran Palestinian Christian from Beit Jala, who was arrested in Birzeit earlier this month and sent into Israeli administrative detention (News, 9 June).
Archbishop Mullally has visited the Holy Land several times, but this is her first trip as Archbishop. She spoke about the Middle East during her installation sermon in March, and, in an interview with the Church Times shortly afterwards, expressed the hope that she would visit soon (News, 9 April).
Before she left, she said: “I am looking forward to being alongside Archbishop Hosam and our Palestinian Christian sisters and brothers. This visit is an opportunity to listen to both their hopes and fears, their joys and immense challenges, and to pray with them for justice and peace that will bring healing to their lives and to this land.
“I bring with me the prayers and solidarity of the Church of England and Anglican Communion — and the assurance that Christians in Palestine and Israel are not forgotten. I encourage people to journey with us in prayer over these coming days.”
She continued: “Palestinian Christians share the love of Christ with those around them, working alongside ecumenical and interfaith partners to build bridges, foster dialogue and promote dignity, equality and respect for all people.
Lambeth PalaceArchbishop Mullally is greeted at St Peter’s, Birzeit
“During our pilgrimage, I look forward to learning more from these groups about how we can work together for a just and lasting peace that upholds the God-given human dignity of everyone.”
Archbishop Naoum said: “It is a profound joy and an honour to welcome Archbishop Sarah to the Holy Land for this historic pilgrimage. Her visit comes at a time when our communities deeply need the global Church’s prayerful presence and solidarity. As we travel together from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land, following the path of our Lord’s earthly ministry, we are reminded of our shared calling to be instruments of his peace and reconciliation.”
He concluded: “The Christian presence here is a living bridge down through the centuries, and having Archbishop Sarah alongside us strengthens our spirits as we navigate our daily challenges. We look forward to introducing her to the vibrant local clergy and parishes, as well as to the tireless ecumenical and interfaith groups who labour every day toward a future of true justice, peace, and mutual respect for all people in this land as a major component of our witness in Christ.”