Christian priests and bishops come out in support of Palestinian statehood

The Vatican is maintaining its neutrality on Palestine’s bid for United Nations membership, despite the move being openly backed the retired Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem. “We have nothing to say on the matter, although we have to show respect for the view of the United Nations,” said papal spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi to the Catholic News Agency on September 19.

Palestinian officials will soon launch their application for full United Nations membership at the U.N. headquarters in New York, asking for international recognition based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as a capital. The idea is strongly opposed by Israel and the United States. In fact, the U.S. is likely to veto any Palestinian resolution at the U.N. Security Council, the first stage of the process.

The Palestinian bid was backed on September 18 by Archbishop Michel Sabbah, the former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during his Sunday Mass in the Palestinian city of Nablus. A joint statement was also issued by various Palestinian Christian clergy – including Catholic priests - to “support the diplomatic efforts made to achieve international recognition of the state of Palestine.”

In June, Pope Benedict described Palestine’s aspiration to statehood as “legitimate” during a meeting at the Vatican with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The Pope also cautioned that this should be achieved with the “just and lasting respect of everyone’s rights.”

A Vatican diplomatic spokesman stationed in Israel confirmed to CNA that the Vatican backs a so-called “two-state solution,” which would allow a sovereign Palestinian state to co-exist next door to Israel. However, the church diplomat refused to comment on the impending Palestinian bid for U.N. membership. The United States insists that any move towards full Palestinian statehood should be achieved in cooperation with Israel. The Israeli government, however, claims that a unilateral move by the United Nations to recognize Palestine would “delegitimize” the state of Israel.

A joint statement by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran priests pledged their “support for the diplomatic efforts being deployed to win international recognition for the State of Palestine… on the June 1967 borders with Jerusalem as our capital.” Some spoke from the pulpit on their support for the two-state solution.

This was a bolder statement than that released by Christian bishops in Palestine last week calling for prayer and diplomatic efforts ahead of the planned vote on statehood. “Palestinians and Israelis should exercise restraint, whatever the outcome of the vote at the United Nations,” the bishops said. “We call upon decision-makers and people of good will to do their utmost to achieve the long-awaited justice, peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.”