De : Fr. Firas Aridah [mailto:Aridah11@hotmail.com]
Envoyé : vendredi 11 janvier 2008 18:35
Objet : Visa problem
Restrictions by Israel on Christians
Threatening the Future of the Church
The Israeli Ministry of Interior decided to limit the entry of holders of
valid visas to “one entry” or “no entry”. Initially, this measure was meant
to prohibit entry to those coming from “enemy countries”. Now however, it
includes Jordanians and Egyptians as well, the only two Arab countries who
signed a peace agreement with Israel; among those holders of visas being
restricted are priests, religious men and women, seminarians and other church
personnel.
What may seem a normal restriction imposes grave consequences:
- The Latin Patriarchate
of Jerusalem, which includes Palestine, Israel and Jordan, will be divided,
as Jordanian priests and church personnel will not be allowed to move between
Jordan and Israel/Palestine. The same applies to the Custody of the Holy
Land, the Melkite Church and the religious congregations.
- Seminarians at the Latin
Patriachal Seminary in Beit Jala, most of whom are Jordanians, will not be
allowed to visit their families for Christmas, Easter or any other occasion
including family emergencies. If they do visit them, they will loose their
residence visa. Applying for a new visa while they are outside the country,
according to the new Israeli regulations, will take 3-4 months. Jordanians
can leave the country, but re-entry is not guaranteed.
- Jordanians, and other Arab
priests, have to stay in the country without leaving it, and when their residence
visa expires, they have to leave the country, apply for a new visa before
they can go back to their parishes and ministries. The waiting period can
be 3-4 months, with no guarantee they will obtain it. The whole work and
life of the Church is in jeopardy by this policy.
- If Israel continue with
the new regulations, the consequences will be dire:
1. by June 2008, the Catholic Church will loose many of its clergy, many
of whom are Jordanians; 2. the Seminary, founded in 1852 and which formed
all the clergy and bishops of the Latin Patriarchate (256 since 1852), will
be closed; 3. and many parishes will be left priestless.
These new restrictions are added to the already existing ones:
- We witness long delays
and complicated bureaucratic procedures to obtain visas for the personnel
the Church needs for its work; the refusal to give or renew visas without
any explanation. The freedom of the Church in the matter is stated in the
Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel in 1993,
and never ratified by the Israeli Parliament (the Kenesset).
- Palestinian priests are
not allowed to enter Israel or Jerusalem; they may be given “permits” by
the Israeli military authorities, restricting the entry points, the duration
of their stay, restricted hours, no use of a car, being subject to humiliating
search on checkpoints, and canceling the permits any time or with the frequent
closures “of the Territories”. This restriction does not allow any normal
pastoral work or any participation at the religious ceremonies in the Holy
Places or the monthly meetings/spiritual retreats at the Latin Patriarchate.
- Palestinian Christians,
as it is the case of all Palestinians, are not allowed to go to Jerusalem
and/or visit the Holy Places. When new restrictions are imposed on the pastors,
seminarians and the Church personnel, the life of the Church will be gravely
affected.
What is needed now is for Israel to:
- respect religious freedom;
- respect the status of the
Holy Land as the center of the life of the Church;
- respect the freedom of
the Church to exercise her pastoral work;
- respect the engagement
taken in the “Fundamental Agreement” with the Holy See;
- allow the Church personnel
to move freely, by simply giving them “Multi-entries” on their residence
visas.
If the restrictions continue, the future of the Church in the Holy Land is
gravely threatened.
God bless you
Yours in Christ
Fr. Firas Aridah
Fr. Firas Aridah
Parish of Our Lady Mother of Sorrows - Aboud
tel: 0097022864526
Mobile: 00972599325957
Fax: 00970222864527