The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem on Saturday reaffirmed that historic Apostolic Churches are the sole representatives of Christian communities in the Holy Land, warning that individuals promoting what they described as harmful ideologies are undermining church unity and misleading the public.
In a joint statement dated January 17, the church leaders said the Christian faithful in the Holy Land are entrusted to churches that have carried out their ministry “across centuries with steadfast devotion.” They cautioned against the actions of local individuals advancing ideologies such as Christian Zionism, saying such efforts sow confusion within Christian communities and threaten their unity.
The statement said these initiatives have found support among some political actors in Israel and abroad who, according to the church leaders, are pursuing political agendas that could damage the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.
Quoting the New Testament verse Romans 12:5 — “we, though many, are one body in Christ” — the patriarchs and heads of churches said any claim to authority outside the communion of the Church wounds the unity of believers and burdens the pastoral mission of historic churches in the land where Jesus lived, taught and was crucified.
The leaders also expressed concern that some of these individuals have been received at official levels locally and internationally, calling such engagement an interference in the internal life of the churches and a disregard for the pastoral authority vested in Jerusalem’s church leadership.
Reiterating their position, the patriarchs and heads of churches said they alone represent the churches and their congregations in matters related to Christian religious, communal and pastoral life in the Holy Land.
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