Holy Land patriarchs call for Christmas ceasefire throughout Middle East

ROME – In their Christmas message this year, the church leaders and patriarchs of Jerusalem voiced gratitude for a recent ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and called for the truce to be expanded throughout the region.

In their 2024 Christmas message, published Dec. 13, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem thanked God “for the recent ceasefire between two of the warring parties in our region, and we call for it to be expanded into Gaza and many other places, bringing an end to the wars that have plagued our part of the world.”

On Nov. 27, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement along with several other mediating countries, including the United States, after conflict between the Israeli and Hezbollah forces erupted in October amid bloated tensions over the war in Gaza.

However, ongoing strikes in certain areas have brought the stability of the ceasefire into question, as both sides accuse each other of repeated violations and mediators attempt to maintain the fragile agreement.

Meanwhile, the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked after an Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants, has led to the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians, according to health officials.

With the death toll continuing to rise amid continued fighting and a worsening humanitarian crisis, mediators such as Qatar, Egypt and the United States have increased their efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel has pledged to continue its offensive until all hostages abducted during the October 2023 attack, which left 1,200 dead and saw over 250 others kidnapped, are released and Hamas completely ousted from power.

Palestinian health officials have said the death toll in Gaza has now reached 45,028, most of whom are civilians, and that some 106,962 people have been wounded since the war began last fall.

However, the real number of casualties, officials say, is likely higher, as many are likely still buried under the rubble in areas that medics cannot yet access.

In their Christmas message, the Holy Land church leaders focused on the light brought into the world by Jesus’ birth, saying Jesus is “the True Light shining in the darkness.”

They voiced their commitment to continuing to preach this message to their people “in the midst of these dark days of continuing conflict and uncertainty in our region.”

“In Christ’s nativity, the light of God’s salvation first came into the world, enlightening all who would receive him, both then and now, and offering them ‘grace upon grace’ to overcome the dark forces of evil that ceaselessly conspire to bring about the destruction of God’s creation,” they said.

This light of Christ, they said, first dawned on their spiritual ancestors, “who received the message of salvation while dwelling ‘in the region and shadow of death.’”

“Enduring many hardships, they went on to pass along the holy light of Christ’s resurrection, becoming his witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout the Holy Land, and to the ends of the earth,” they said.

This path of light and redemption, the church leaders said, is not a relic of the past, but rather, it “leads us full-circle to our time, when wars still rage and untold millions in our region and around the globe continue to suffer grievously.”

“Outwardly, little seems to have changed. Yet inwardly, our Lord Jesus Christ’s holy birth sparked a spiritual revolution that continues to transform countless hearts and minds towards the ways of justice, mercy, and peace,” they said.

For families who have chosen to stay in the Holy Land despite the ongoing war, and for those who have joined the community in spite of the violence, the region’s church leaders said that for them, being there is an honor.

“It is our privilege to continue to testify to the sacred light of Christ in the very places where he was born, ministered, and offered himself on our behalf, rising victoriously from the grave to a new resurrected life,” they said.

They said they send this message by worshipping God at the holy sites and by welcoming pilgrims, past and present, and by proclaiming the Gospel to all those they meet, while also performing works of mercy and charity, and advocating for “liberty for the captives, and release to the prisoners.”

In addition to calling for a regional ceasefire for Christmas, the church leaders also asked for “the release of all prisoners and captives, the return of the homeless and displaced, the treatment of the sick and wounded, the relief of those who hunger and thirst, the restoration of unjustly seized or threatened properties, and the rebuilding of all public and private civilian structures that have been damaged or destroyed.”

They called on Christians and all people of goodwill, during the Christmas season and beyond, to join them in praying and working “toward this noble mission, both in Christ’s homeland and wherever there is conflict and strife.”

“For by together doing so, we will indeed be truly honoring the Prince of Peace who was born so humbly in a stable in Bethlehem more than two millennia ago,” they said.

Follow Elise Ann Allen on X: @eliseannallen