Kirk Moderator cancels Easter trip to Jerusalem due to war in Middle East
The Moderator had been due to deliver a sermon in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday
The Moderator of the Church of Scotland has cancelled an Easter trip to Jerusalem due to the war in the Middle East.
The Right Reverend Rosie Frew cancelled a planned visit to St Andrew’s Scots Memorial Church in Jerusalem, where she had been due to deliver a sermon on Easter Sunday, on Foreign Office advice.
Now, she will instead join the service online to deliver her message.
Mrs Frew, in a letter to Christian leaders in Palestine and Israel, expressed the Church of Scotland's support for the Christians of the Holy Land and her disappointment at not being able to visit.
She said: “I am deeply sorry that my proposed visit to Jerusalem and the Holy Land this Holy Week has had to be cancelled.
“It was a visit I, and my pilgrimage group, had been greatly looking forward to making.
“I am aware from first-hand reports how much this war is impacting communities throughout Palestine and Israel, alongside the devastation that it is causing in Iran and the Gulf States.
“I had very much looked forward to sharing in the Holy Week reflection and sorrow and joining together in the Easter resurrection celebrations with you and your communities, and sharing with you the love, prayers, and solidarity of the Church of Scotland.”
In the letter, she also acknowledged the “deep distress” of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, after he was denied entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Israeli authorities on Palm Sunday.
Believed to be the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, the Latin Patriarch’s denial of entry has been regarded as unacceptable by Christians worldwide.
Earlier this week, Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Latin Patriarch would have "full and immediate access".
Mr Netanyahu claimed the cardinal had been stopped from entering the church due to safety concerns given Iranian strikes on religious sites.
Mrs Frew said she hoped the cardinal would be granted “free access” to the church in days to come. The Latin Patriarch has now attended a small mass behind closed doors at the church.
Mrs Frew was scheduled to travel to the region at the end of March to celebrate and show solidarity with the Christian community of Palestine and Israel and meet the leaders of the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Latin Catholic Churches, as well as participate in the Easter Celebrations.
She had also been due to meet local partners of the Church of Scotland, including the Tent of Nations environmental and educational farm near Bethlehem, and Rabbis for Human Rights.
Meanwhile, First MinisterJohn Swinney, delivered his Easter message.
The First Minister said Easter should be a time for “hope and renewal” where people come together to “celebrate the triumph of light over darkness”.
Mr Swinney stressed the importance of the holiday during a time of “global uncertainty, war and intolerance”.
The First Minister said: “For me, Easter is an incredibly important time of the year.
“It is a moment for us to come together and celebrate the triumph of light over darkness – a moment of hope and of renewal.
“At a time of such global uncertainty, war and intolerance, the powerful message of hope which Easter represents is all the more important for us to hold on to and to cherish.
“At home in Scotland, and across the world, we must never give up hope on that fundamental message.”
He continued: “We must always strive to ensure tolerance defeats hatred, peace prevails over war and light prevails over darkness.
“I wish everyone in Scotland a happy and peaceful Easter.”