Holy Land Christians offer the model of a 'Servant Church'

Episode 13 January 22, 2021 00:09:46
Holy Land Christians offer the model of a 'Servant Church'
Catholic News
Holy Land Christians offer the model of a 'Servant Church'

Jan 22 2021 | 00:09:46

/

Show Notes

On today’s ‘Catholic News’ podcast we’re joined by the long-term chair of what’s called the Holy Land Co-ordination – a prayerful annual pilgrimage of bishops from around the world to the land of Christ’s life and ministry.

Bishop Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton, like his fellow delegates, had to engage in this year’s pilgrimage remotely due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The bishops met from 16 – 21 January online.

They heard time and again, particularly when discussing the current realities in Gaza, how Church-run organisations like hospitals, schools and charities, are punching well above their weight serving the wider community beyond the church walls. In Gaza, for example, the Catholic organisation Caritas facilitates 61% of all healthcare home visits in this Palestinian territory of 2m people. There are only 1,077 Christians in that number – of which 132 are Latin Catholics.

“It’s the model of the church as servant, as a servant to people in need,” syas Bishop Declan. “This love of neighbour is a very practical form of Christianity. Perhaps that’s what we need in the Church in Western Europe – to become a ‘servant church’ – a church that is there to serve the wider community and its needs.”

Bishop Declan Lang also talks about the prospect of peace in the region and where, despite the bleak outlook, we can find hope for the future.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

November 06, 2020 00:09:38
Episode Cover

Tackling Food Poverty

This 'Catholic News' podcast on food poverty was recorded just before the second national lockdown in England to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Food...

Listen

Episode 21

June 25, 2021 00:24:07
Episode Cover

Emotional not just physical scars in Gaza

Our focus falls on the Holy Land and particularly Gaza for this podcast as we reflect on the 11-day conflict in May 2021 that...

Listen

Episode 24

August 12, 2021 00:18:30
Episode Cover

Faith gives hope to Cameroon’s suffering people

In recent weeks we’ve been raising awareness of a long-running Anglophone conflict in Cameroon that has seen almost a million people displaced. Tragically, many...

Listen