Archbishop says there is ‘Hope for reconciliation’ amid tragedy in Israel, Lebanon

The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne has recently returned from a trip to Israel with a senior rabbi, and Lebanon with the Maronite Bishop of Australia.

Melbourne’s Catholic Archbishop Peter Comen­soli has spoken of witnessing signs of reconciliation and hope after returning from Israel and Lebanon. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Valeriu Campan

Melbourne’s Catholic Archbishop has spoken of witnessing signs of reconciliation and hope amid “what might seem a complete breakdown in society, based on ancient hatreds,” after returning from Israel and Lebanon.

In a letter to the clergy and laity of the archdiocese, Peter Comen­soli revealed at the weekend that he had spent the past fortnight visiting “the Holy Lands of Israel, the Palestinian Terri­tories and Lebanon on a pilgrimage of solidarity,” initially with St Kilda synagogue Senior Rabbi Yaakov Glasman and later with Maronite Bishop of Australia ­Antoine-Charbel Tarabay.

“The pilgrimage allowed for significant opportunities in prayer, engagement and learning through that part of the world where, in the past, Christ walked and ministered, and where, today, the great Abrahamic religions and historical cultures live side-by-side, in very complex, and presently tragic ways,” the archbishop wrote.

“It was particularly powerful for me to stand with my friend, Rabbi Yaakov, at the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem, and to pray together Psalm 150 and Isaiah 2.1-5.

“Likewise, it was a moment of profound blessing to be in prayer with Bishop Antoine before the great Lebanese holy men and women, especially St Charbel and St Rafqa.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Rabbi Yaakov Glasman outside the St Kilda synagogue in April. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Archbishop Comensoli said it was impossible to visit the Holy Lands without being confronted by “complex and tragic realities”.

“It was (obviously) impossible to travel into Gaza,” he said.

“It also proved too difficult to spend significant time in the West Bank.

“Nonetheless, opportunities did emerge to engage with people who live in these wounded locations, as well as the suffering of ­Israel and the beleaguered nation of Lebanon.

A chance meeting in Jerusalem with two religious sisters who had only just come from the Holy Family Parish compound in Gaza City, having been living there through the first six months of the war, was humbling and revealing.

The difficulty of living in the compound was harrowing to hear, yet the level of hope that they continue to hold was telling.

“Similarly, speaking with a victim of the devastating explosion in the Port of Beirut of 2020 opened up the difficulty of coming to the truth of what occurred, and find justice for those affected.

Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay. Picture: Giovanni Portelli

“Amid what might seem a complete breakdown in society, based on ancient hatreds, there are hidden jewels of goodness and rightness, and signs of reconciliation,” Archbishop Comensoli said.