c. 2008 Religion News Service
Holy Land church leaders appeal for Gaza
JERUSALEM (RNS) Christian leaders from the Holy Land are demanding that Israel, President Bush and the world community “put an end to this suffering” of Gaza residents caught in the crossfire between Israel and the Hamas militants who rule the Gaza Strip.
“There is no time to waste when Human life is endangered,” said the Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
The clerics, many of them Palestinians, called on Israel to put the control of Gaza’s borders under Palestinian responsibility to ensure that fuel, food and medicine reaches those who need it.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sealed Gaza’s borders in order to pressure Hamas to stop shelling the Israeli town of Sderot and nearby communities. In recent days, Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, which Israel evacuated 21/2 years ago.
The situation in Gaza became desperate Monday (Jan. 21) when fuel shortages led the Hamas-led government to shut Gaza City’s main power station. Much of Gaza City, including hospitals, was without electricity until Olmert, under international pressure, permitted the import of fuel and some humanitarian aid.
“There are a half million people imprisoned and without proper food or medicine; 800,000 without electricity supply. This is illegal collective punishment, an immoral act in violation of the basic human and natural laws as well as International Law. It cannot be tolerated anymore. The siege over Gaza should end now,” the church leaders said.
“This siege will not guarantee the end to rocket firing, but will only increase the bitterness and suffering and invite more revenge, while the innocents keep dying. True Peace building is the only way to bring the desired security.”
The clerics also urged the warring Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah “to unite in ending their differences for the sake of their people in Gaza.” By firing rockets into Israel, they added, “you encourage public opinion outside this Land to feel there is a justification for this siege.”
_ Michele Chabin
`Da Vinci Code’ chapel bans cameras
LONDON (RNS) The medieval Scottish chapel with a starring role in “The Da Vinci Code” has now banned all cameras and video equipment on grounds that they could pose a dangerous safety problem.
Officials at the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh, blame the building’s cracked and uneven flooring, which they claim poses a health and safety threat to tourists peering at its ornate but poorly lit ceiling through their camera lenses.
They also say flash photography in such a small, enclosed space could trigger attacks of epilepsy.
The ban went into effect this month, but Colin Glynne-Percy, director of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said he did not believe it would affect the number of visitors, estimated at 160,000 in 2007.
Rosslyn Chapel, which dates back to 1446, has long been associated with the Holy Grail legends. It came to global prominence for its role in author Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, and the subsequent blockbuster movie triggered massive tourist interest two years ago.
Those planning a visit are now warned in a succinct message on the chapel’s Web site of what to expect: “Please note that for the safety, comfort and overall enjoyment of our visitors, there is no interior photography allowed at Rosslyn Chapel.”
_ Al Webb
Quote of the Day: Boston College Philosophy Professor Peter Kreeft
(RNS) “Doubts are the ants in the pants that keep faith moving.”
_ Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft, quoted by The Boston Globe.
KRE/CM END RNS
