The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) held its spring meeting in Cyprus and issued a plea for peace.
The bishops said that they “turn to the Lord in prayer and stand in solidarity with all those suffering from devastating violence, instability and injustice in the Holy Land, Lebanon, Iran and the wider Middle East region. In particular, we remember the Christian communities, whose presence in these lands, where our faith has its roots, remains a powerful testimony of perseverance, resilience and hope.”
The bishops also visited two Christian villages in Northern Cyprus, which has been under Turkish military occupation since 1974. At the Maronite co-cathedral in one of the villages, Archbishop Selim Sfeir preached that “we desire more than ever the full return of our villages and our places of divine worship, and we renew our firm commitment, with great determination and continuous effort, to achieve this return in a spirit of responsibility, perseverance, and cooperation.”