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Bishop Suheil and Archbishop of Canada

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, ended his eight day visit to the diocese with a strong commitment to deepen ties with the Episcopal diocese of Jerusalem. He has invited Bishop Suheil to attend the Canadian General Synod in 2010 and he has promised him ‘a good block of time to address the General Synod on the life and witness of the church in the Holy Land,’

The Anglican Church of Canada and the diocese of Jerusalem are exploring ways to enhance their relationship in the areas of theological education, parish-to-parish and diocese-to-diocese companion relationships, volunteers in mission, and support for particular projects. The hope is to launch some initiatives at the General Synod. There are also plans to arrange a meeting in Ottawa between Bishop Suheil and the Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon.

During his visit to the Jerusalem diocese Archbishop Hiltz learned how the local church bears witness to the Gospel in a situation that is highly politicized, that always has the potential to be volatile, and where Christians are clearly in the minority. The evidence of Israeli occupation in the Holy Land is “painfully real,” he said. He affirmed Bishop Suheil’s policy of advocating for peace and reconciliation among the three Abrahamic faiths.

“Bishop Suheil’s belief is that there is room in Jerusalem for everyone; we just have to find a way for that to be a reality,” said Archbishop Hiltz. “When we met with Beatitude Theophilos III the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, he talked about the need for a continuing Christian presence, for Christians to be a kind of bridge between Judaism and Islam.”

The Archbishop visited Gaza, and experienced mixed emotions after seeing bombed-out buildings on one side of the road and a huge refugee camp on the other, while in other areas, life appeared to be relatively normal, with markets open, children playing and people roaming the streets. He also visited the diocese-run Al Ahli Arab Hospital, and took communion on site, at St. Philip’s Church. “It was amazing to hear the deep, deep commitment to the people’s healthcare,” he said. The primate was moved by the story of one doctor who was in the middle of a surgery when told that his son, who also worked in the hospital, had been killed on an ambulance route. “He said, ‘What could I do? I couldn’t leave to save him, so I stayed to save another life. ”

The Archbishop was impressed that Bishop Suheil is “committed to bringing about change” primarily through healthcare and education being accessible to anyone regardless of religion or race.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (back row, fourth from right) and Bishop Suheil Dawani, diocese of Jerusalem (fifth from right) at St. Luke’s Hospital, Nablus with all the staff.