NEW YORK – The International Community of the Holy Sepulchre (ICoHS) hosted a luncheon for His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem at Gallaghers in Midtown Manhattan on November 15. The event introduced the organization to a select group of community members concerned about the situation in the Holy Land. Among those present, Fr. Alex Karloutsos, John Catsimatidis, John Metaxas and his wife Irene, Zenon Christodoulou and his wife Zacharoulla, and Ambassador Patrick Theros, a frequent contributor to The National Herald who currently represents the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the United States.
Russell Rook of the UK-based Good Faith Partnership welcomed everyone to the event, noting that it’s been a privilege to work for Patriarch Theophilos “and an even greater privilege to get to know him as a man of God, a great human being, and someone who is doing remarkable work.”
Patriarch Theophilos said, “It is a great honor for me to be invited and be amongst you,” and noted that “the churches in the Holy City of Jerusalem are facing the most challenging of times, developments are placing huge burdens on our communities, and as a consequence we are experiencing a level of unease and destruction that is unprecedented in our lifetime.
“For some time, a trend has been developing whereby our religious communities, holy sites, and church cemeteries have been subject to vandalism and desecration, certain national and municipal legislators have threatened our right to deal freely with our properties, and forces far beyond our control have undermined the vital services that we provide to the most vulnerable members of our community, and when we talk about our community, we don’t exclude Muslims and Jews.
“This last year has been a time of heightened concern for the Christian communities of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, however we are never without hope. For a while, some suggest that we face an existential threat, we in truth know that the Holy Spirit itself, the One who rose Christ from the dead, creates and sustains the Church in Jerusalem and to the very ends of the earth. For all our troubles, the last years have taught us that we have faithful friends throughout the world in our hour of need we have been bolstered and heartened by the support and leadership of so many significant individuals and institutions around the world. They spoke up on our behalf and insisted that the United States recognize and support our Christian community in the Holy Land, this is why we say thank you with all our hearts, but it’s not just mere words, it’s the truth, this thank you is from our hearts. Members of Congress, the U.S. administration, as well as religious and political institutions, advocated on our behalf, we are truly and eternally grateful to them. In the face of these challenges we are grateful to Almighty God that the churches of the Holy Land are joining together, enjoy greater harmony, and share a renewed resolve, more than that we are reaching out to our brothers and sisters around the world as we witness and support the launch of the International Community of the Holy Sepulchre, ICoHS for short.
“ICoHS is an independent organization that will grow a community of Christians around the world, supporting brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. This community will work to strengthen the bones of the historical churches of Jerusalem with individuals and institutions around the world. ICoHS will help to raise awareness about the issues we are facing, enable people of faith to advocate on our behalf, and encourage Christians to discover the roots of their own personal faith through pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Most of all those community will help to ensure that people of all faiths can live well with one another and flourish and thrive together. ICoHS has the support and blessing of the churches of the Holy Land and, of course, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem that I represent, and, of course, I have the mandate of all the churches, gives its blessing and support to this holy, urgent, and necessary work. Jerusalem is the universal symbol of peace. The Holy City of Jerusalem is multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious city that the three Abrahamic faiths call home.”
“While small in geography, Jerusalem is the spiritual capital of the world, nobody denies this fact. As our close friends and faithful supporters we hope you will become part of this International Community of the Holy Sepulchre and we look forward to welcoming you to the Holy City in the future. On behalf of the heads of the churches and the Christian community of the Holy Land, and the faithful of our respective communities, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your own determination to preserve and promote the vibrant Christian community in the Holy City. Your friendship, your prayers, and advocacy have become the lifeline to us and while it is a great privilege to join you here in New York City, I hope one day soon we will have the joy to welcome you to the Holy Land and to our beloved, Holy City of Jerusalem so we might walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ together.”
Austin Tiffany, ICoHS Executive Manager, spoke to The National Herald about the organization and its mission. Created to provide practical support for the Christian Community in the Holy Land, ICoHS will unite individuals and institutions and provide powerful and practical ways by which members can contribute to and advocate for the Christian presence in the region. Furthermore, ICoHS will help the Churches raise international awareness of the challenges that Christians face in the Holy Land while promoting peace and the flourishing of all people in the Middle East.
This community will benefit from regular communication, participate in special events, contribute to certain areas, and support specific projects.
ICoHS is a project of the Good Faith Partnership. More information is available online icohs.org and goodfaith.org.uk.
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