Anglican Bishop Suheil Diwani visits Diocesan Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza; Lends support to Gaza’s Christian Community
Anglican Bishop Suheil Diwani visits Diocesan Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza; Lends support to Gaza’s Christian Community
Jerusalem – (March 12, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 10, Bishop Suheil Dawani, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, was granted permission to go into Gaza to make a pastoral visit to our diocesan hospital, Ahli Arab Hospital. Bishop Suheil was accompanied by Greek Catholic Archbishop Elias Chacour and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan. Driving in Bishop Dawani’s car, the three Church leaders made their way through the badly damaged area of northern Gaza to the hospital, which has served over 400 casualties during the recent crisis.
There are approximately 3,500 Christians living in Gaza. During his visit, the Bishop said the ”Christian presence must be empowered and must remain in the Holy Land.” He encouraged Gazan Christians to “look forward and build up what has been destroyed, to keep faith and hope in the future, and carry on living in hope of a more normal situation despite all the hardships they have been facing.”‘