Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – Today is a day of fasting and prayer for peace as called for by the Bishops' Conference of North Africa and the Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions.

For the Churches of the Middle East and North Africa, "the instability of the Middle Eastern region is a threat to the security of their respective countries and the entire world".

According to them, "Jews, Christians and Muslims have become incapable to put an end to ongoing conflicts. The peoples of Palestine and Israel are especially in danger of disappearing. This is true for the weak as much as the strong, for those who use violence as much as those who are waiting for a peaceful solution to the conflict".

The conflict in the Holy Land "worries" Christians throughout the world. Churches "can do more" to bring about peace; they must make local governments and populations as well as the international community aware of what is at stake so that their action may become "a decisive factor in bringing peace, justice and reconciliation".

The bishops are mindful that the Churches—fulfilling the Divine Will—must play a role in "reconciling Israelis and Palestinians, helping both sides to live in peace."

Although people might be "powerless" to change the status quo, the bishops of the Middle east and North Africa can commend their intentions and hope "to God and his work", confident that "in the end Good will triumph over the evil that is war" in the land where "He chose to be born".

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