Archbishop Bill Nolan of Glasgow and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland have signed a joint statement calling for an end to war in the Middle East.

Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton and the Archbishop pray that people in positions of power end the "senseless violence" and have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

The two religious leaders said "enough is enough" and spoke out after Gaza's only Catholic priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, visited Glasgow last Friday (main image).

He shared the plight of his Holy Family Parish congregation, said people are "living in hell" and called for a ceasefire, describing it as a necessary step to restart dialogue between all parties.

The Moderator, the Archbishop and other ecumenical partner representatives attended the event, organised by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) and Justice and Peace Scotland at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

The statement

On the occasion of Fr Gabriel Romanelli's visit to Glasgow on 26 April 2024, we, the undersigned, express our solidarity with the people of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, the Christian community of the Holy Land and people of all faiths and none across the region tormented by war.

In recent months, millions of innocent people have suffered the consequences of violence and war.

Families and communities have been devastated.

Many have lost hope for a peaceful future.

Men, women and children have been robbed of their innate human dignity and their right to survive and thrive.

Our cry is "Enough is enough".

• We stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Gaza and across the Holy Land. May they feel our solidarity and Jesus' loving embrace.
• We stand in solidarity with all the sons and daughters of Abraham, the peoples of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths in the Holy Land, that all may know deep peace and reconciliation in their lifetimes.
• We stand in support of agencies and individuals who are serving those suffering at their time of greatest need. May they be rewarded for their courage and compassion.
• We stand united with all people of good will who are campaigning for an end to this violence. May we never lose hope and may our resolve not falter.
• We stand together as disciples of Jesus Christ, who, in the very lands that are lacerated by hostility and violence today, called on his followers to be peacemakers. In the name of God, we call for an end to war, closure of heart and hatred to be replaced with dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.

Today we cry out to all people in positions of power to end this senseless violence.

We pray to Almighty God that their hearts may be turned towards compassion, and that they may have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home.

This article is adapted from the Church of Scotland article here.  Title image of Father Gabriel Romanelli by James Cave, SCIAF.