On Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, Msgr. William Shomali, Patriarchal General Vicar, accompanied by Msgr. Bolous-Marcuzzo, Bishop Emeritus, and a delegation from the Latin Patriarchate visited the Latin Monastery in Jenin and checked on the state of the church building, following the Israeli army’s raid at dawn last Sunday.
According to what Fr. Labib Daibes, the parish priest of Jenin, narrated, the outer door was broken into, it was used to go up to the church, where vandalism of church symbols occurred, in addition to causing some damage to the wall, leaving behind some empty bullet castings. Fr. Daibes pointed out that the repeated attacks on Jenin result in multiple loss of life among its residents, destroy the city’s infrastructure, and hinder the educational process, especially as the end of the academic year approaches.
In turn, Msgr. William stressed the urgent need to end the war and the existing conflict per international law. He deems the storming of the church building a sacrilege to one of God's houses and a violation of its sanctity. He added that the Governorate of Jenin dreams of a just and comprehensive peace and seeks with all its capabilities for its people to have a safe and reassuring life, where children grow up without fear, and everyone works to build and develop society.
The delegation also visited the governorate and met with the Governor of Jenin, Mr. Kamal Abu Al-Rub, who appreciated the role of the church and its work on social development and praised the visit of His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to Gaza, describing it as a courageous step, hoping that this visit would lead to the stopping of the war on Gaza and ending the ongoing conflict. He also denounced such ongoing attacks on the governorate and places of worship. He added that the recent raids and attacks, which the governorate has been subjected to are destroying the hopes of peace. He noted, that the continued closure of the existing checkpoints, especially the Jalama crossing, is affecting the governorate's economy.
