International bishops group visit Holy Land

Bishops 2025 visit - Image Aboud HLC

An international delegation of Catholic bishops and an Anglican bishop, is currently undertaking its annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The theme of the 2026 visit is: 'A Land of Promise: Encounter and Dialogue with People of Hope.'

Delegates from the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Anglican Church are taking part, alongside representatives of Catholic organisations working to support the region's people.

The meeting is being moderated by Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Bishop of Plymouth and Chair of the International Department of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

The visit is combining meetings with representatives of the local Church with pastoral visits and encounter with local communities. A particular emphasis is placed on support, solidarity and care for the Living Stones - the Christians of the region.

Representing Ireland is Bishop Paul Dempsey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dublin and chairman of Trócaire; Mr Seán Farrell, chief executive officer of Trócaire; and, Rev Dr Gary Carville, executive secretary of the Commission for Social Issues & International Affairs of the Bishops' Conference.

According to Bishop Dempsey, "Our visit is pastoral in nature and seeks to offer confidence and reassurance to the Christian communities of the Holy Land by way of prayer, pilgrimage, presence and dialogue. We also hope to remind Catholics across the world to remain attentive to the conditions under which their sisters and brothers live, and worship, in the land of Christ's life, death and resurrection. We are particularly looking forward to meeting the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa OFM, who visited Ireland in July 2024."

Programme

A busy programme includes a visit to the Comboni Sisters to witness their pastoral and humanitarian ministry among Bedouin communities, marked by long-term presence, care for families, and a quiet commitment to dignity and justice at the margins of society. The Sisters' work supporting Bedouin women was recently recognised with a Caritas Internationalis 'Weavers of Hope' award.

The local Church features prominently in the programme. The bishops meet with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, His Excellency Archbishop Yilana, who is also Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.

They will also participate in an online meeting with Fr Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest serving the small Catholic community in Gaza that sheltered hundreds who lost their homes during the conflict.

Further meetings will take place with the Saint James Vicariate, with members of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, and with Rabbis for Human Rights. Delegates will also hear about the work and ministry of the John Paul II Foundation, which focuses on human and community advancement.

Additional pastoral visits include the Ephpheta Paul VI Institute in Bethlehem, which provides rehabilitation and education for deaf children from across the Palestinian Territories, and the Taybeh Elderly Home.

The delegation will visit the Latin Patriarchal Seminary which forms the future pastoral life of the local Church through prayer, study, and service, supporting both ordained ministry and Lay Adult Formation for service across the Holy Land in demanding circumstances.

Finally, a meeting will take place with the Parents Circle - Families Forum, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organisation of more than 800 bereaved families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. In the midst of profound personal loss, members of the Parents Circle have chosen a courageous path: to transform their grief into a commitment to reconciliation, dialogue, and peace.

A vital element of every Co-ordination meeting is celebrating Sunday Mass with a local community. This year, the bishops will celebrate Mass with the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, spending the day in the village to listen, to share life, and to hear directly of the challenges faced by its people.

Bishop Delegates

Rt Rev Nicholas Hudson
Bishop of Plymouth
Moderator of the Holy Land Coordination
Chair of the International Affairs Department, Bishops' Conference
England and Wales

Rt Rev Nicolo Anselmi
Bishop of Rimini
Italy

Most Rev Udo Bentz
Archbishop of Paderborn
Germany

Rt Rev Peter Burcher
Bishop Emeritus of Reykjavik
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland

Rt Rev James Curry
Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster.
International Affairs Department, Bishops' Conference.
England and Wales

Rt Rev Paul Dempsey
Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin
Ireland

Rt Rev Michel Dubost C.I.M.
Bishop Emeritus of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes.
France

Most Rev Antoine Herouard
Archbishop of Dijon
Co-President of Justice & Peace, Europe
Vice-President of COMECE
France

Rt Rev Joseph Kopacz
Bishop of Jackson
International Justice and Peace Department, Bishops' Conference
United States of America

Most Rev William Nolan
Archbishop of Glasgow
Justice and Peace Scotland
Scotland

Rt Rev Christian Rodembourg M.S.A.
Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe
Canada

Most Rev Joan Enric Vives Sicilia
Bishop Emeritus of Urgell
Spain

Rt Rev Abdallah Elias Zaidan
Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, Bishops' Conference
United States of America

LINKS

Saturday, 17 January

Bedouin Tribes - An invisible community we came to 'see': https://vimeo.com/1155571762

Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Moderator of the Holy Land Co-ordination, offered his reflections after a day spent with clans of a Bedouin tribe in Palestine.

Comboni Sisters walking in hope with a Bedouin tribe in the West Bank: https://vimeo.com/1155583282

Sister Lourdes Garcia MCS talks about how the Comboni Sisters stand alongside clans of the Jahalin Bedouin tribe in the West Bank.

Bedouin's message to people in the UK: https://vimeo.com/1155586996

Abu Suleiman, who leads a Bedouin organisation called Silver Tent, gives a brief message to people in the UK.

Sunday, 18 January

West Bank priest: We still believe that hope never fails, despite attacks: https://vimeo.com/1155766339

Holy Land Co-Ordination: https://theholyland.org.uk/