Thus, Lenten collections will be allocated to Christians living in the holy places, the Swiss episcopate stated on Wednesday on its Web page.
The bishops said the daily barrage of bad news from the Mideast runs the risk of causing indifference in those who hear it.
«We are affected, but we build a sort of barrier around our feelings. Whenever a sign of hope arises, it is immediately destroyed by new violence,» the message states.
Yet, «Christians continue to live in the Holy Land and their presence is not ineffective. … We must support these brothers and sisters in the faith who live in the land of the origin of Christianity,» the bishops continue.
The Swiss bishops point to prayer and pilgrimages as additional means to take «help, perhaps small, but impregnated with the evangelical spirit, to relieve the explosive situation in the Middle East.»
