The news that we have seen coming out of the Holy Lands since October has caused great sorrow in the hearts of Orthodox Christians everywhere. We have been especially concerned by the suffering and deaths that have been endured by civilians both in Israel and in Palestine. Over and above the evils that are always present in wartime circumstances, attacks on civilians are of an especially heinous nature, and are in contravention of international law.

 

We mourn also the damage that was inflicted on the Church of St. Porphyrios in Gaza City in an airstrike on October 19. The Church of St. Porphyrios is a 12th-century structure, although a Church has existed on the site since as early as the 5th century. The present Church houses the relics of St. Porphyrios of Gaza, a 4th-5th century bishop who brought Christianity to the then-pagan city. We thank God that, while the Church campus was damaged, the Church itself withstood the attack. This airstrike, however, was not without the destruction of the human temple, as many Palestinian civilians were sheltering at the Church.

 

With great sadness, we have observed that the instability and violence in the region has not been confined to the Gaza Strip, but has spread also into the West Bank and the Israel-Lebanon border, and threatens stability in Egypt, which shares a border with the Gaza Strip.

 

In consideration of these circumstances, His Grace Bishop Constantine, the assistant bishop of the Metropolis of Denver, has instructed me that we are not to proceed with our plans for the Pilgrimage in 2024. Accordingly, we will revisit our plans for the Pilgrimage in a future year when, God willing, the region has regained stability.

 

Please continue to pray for the people, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian, who are suffering in the Holy Lands and throughout the world. May the Prince of Peace cause His peace to reign through the ages!

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