Madrid, Spain, Jan 12, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Bishops from around the world will be gathering for the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land in Jerusalem on January 14-19 in order to promote solidarity with Christians in that region and to get to know the pastoral life of the Church there.
In a statement, the Bishops’ Conference of Spain announced that the meeting would consist primarily of work sessions for the participants and discussions on the pastoral life of the local Church, as well as dialogue with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian authorities.
On Saturday and Sunday participants will visit parishes in Jerusalem, Galilee, and the West Bank, where they will celebrate the Eucharist.
On Monday, January 16, in addition to the work sessions, the bishops will hold a meeting in Jerusalem, with representatives of the laity, religious and priests. They will also visit with Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. On Tuesday, January 17, the bishops will travel to Jordan where they will meet with King Abdullah II. The following day they will visit local parishes in the country. The meeting will conclude on Thursday, January 19.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land was created in January of 1992 by Pope John Paul II.