What are you doing to help the Melkite Greek Catholics suffering in Palestine?

[Christy74]

I’m just curious as to what everyone here is personally doing to assist our Catholic brothers and sisters in Palestine who are daily terrorized by the Israeli Army?
Has anyone here gone to meet with Archbishop Chacour to assist with the schools he has started?
Is anyone sending financial aide?
Has anyone gone to help as a volunteer?
Is anyone seeking to have Congress void the multi-millions of dollars it sends daily to aid the Iraeli Army in their cause of bulldozing Melkite Greek Catholic homes, killing Melkite Greek Catholic Christian Children in Bethlehem, refusing Melkite Catholics access to Health Care, etc. etc.?
I’m just curious, because I was shocked to find out that it is the Presbyterians of the US who are the biggest helpers of the Catholic Christians in Palestine. When are the US Catholics going to wake up and begin helping our own brothers and sisters. I’m sure we must all be awake here at Catholic Answers, so I’m curious as to what everyone here is doing to help stop the Apartheid.

 

[bpbasilphx]

I would urge everyone who sees this to read Fr (now Abp) Elias Chacour’s book BLOOD BROTHERS.

 

[Christy74]

I would urge everyone who sees this to read Fr (now Abp) Elias Chacour’s book BLOOD BROTHERS.

Yes, Blood Brothers is a great book written by a Catholic Palestinian & doesn’t cost too much. I recently bought a copy from Border’s (although they had to order it, so it took a couple of days) & it was just $12.99. Very affordable for an individual and affordable to buy to give to others who may not realize what is and has been going on in Palestine to our own Catholic brothers and sisters.

 

[Alexius]

It is interesting–I was just thinking about the Christians in the Lebanon-Palestine areas today…I hope to help.

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[ReConverted]

You know what? I feel ashamed. I didn’t know about them. (This convert still has a lot to learn!)

I would like to send some financial aid. They also have my prayers!

Can you point me to good groups to contribute to?

Thank you and God bless you for informing me about our brethren in Palestine!

Johnny

 

[Christy74]

You know what? I feel ashamed. I didn’t know about them. (This convert still has a lot to learn!)

I would like to send some financial aid. They also have my prayers!

Can you point me to good groups to contribute to?

Thank you and God bless you for informing me about our brethren in Palestine!

Johnny

Hi Johnny,

I would suggest sending a letter to Catholic Archbishop of Galilee Abuna (Father) Elias Chacour a letter and ask him where to send a contribution. He has created schools which are open to all Palestinians: Jewish, Muslim and Christian (Catholic and Orthodox) as a positive solution to the problems they are faced with each and every day. I’m sure he would be happy to have you as a volunteer if that is possible for you to go there.

Thanks,
Christy

 

[ReConverted]

Thanks Christy! Hey, go look at my response to your entry into the Church. It’s a small world! LOL

 

[ReConverted]

Hi Johnny,

I would suggest sending a letter to Catholic Archbishop of Galilee Abuna (Father) Elias Chacour a letter and ask him where to send a contribution. He has created schools which are open to all Palestinians: Jewish, Muslim and Christian (Catholic and Orthodox) as a positive solution to the problems they are faced with each and every day. I’m sure he would be happy to have you as a volunteer if that is possible for you to go there.

Thanks,
Christy

I’m in poor health so I can’t go over there, but I’d like to contribute financially.

 

[Christy74]

It is interesting–I was just thinking about the Christians in the Lebanon-Palestine areas today…I hope to help.

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

Alexius,

Please pray!!! It is urgently needed!

Another couple of things you can do right now is:

1. learn more about the situation - get/read Fr. Chacour’s book Blood Brothers, visit www.rememberthesechildren.org, check out You Tube for video footage of what is happening - search Palestinian Catholics and Occupation 101, etc.
2. share what you learn with others - people cannot help if they do not know.

Also contact Catholic Archbishop of Galilee: Abuna (Fr.) Chacour to see how else you may be able to assist.

Best Wishes,
Christy

 

[Christy74]

I’m in poor health so I can’t go over there, but I’d like to contribute financially.

I will pray for your health.

Every time you have trouble because of your health remember those who may have the same or similar condition to you in Palestine who are walled in and prevented at gun point from going to the Doctor’s or Hospital, who are unable to obtain necessary medication, etc. Offer your sufferings on behalf of those both Christian (Catholic & Orthodox) and Non-Christian Palestinians. Remember to pray for them.

Abuna Elias Chacour
Archbishop of Galilee
P. O. Box 102
Ibillin 30012
Galilee, Israel

Thank you for your concern and willing heart!

Best Wishes,
Christy

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m just curious as to what everyone here is personally doing to assist our Catholic brothers and sisters in Palestine who are daily terrorized by the Israeli Army?
Has anyone here gone to meet with Archbishop Chacour to assist with the schools he has started?
Is anyone sending financial aide?
Has anyone gone to help as a volunteer?
Is anyone seeking to have Congress void the multi-millions of dollars it sends daily to aid the Iraeli Army in their cause of bulldozing Melkite Greek Catholic homes, killing Melkite Greek Catholic Christian Children in Bethlehem, refusing Melkite Catholics access to Health Care, etc. etc.?
I’m just curious, because I was shocked to find out that it is the Presbyterians of the US who are the biggest helpers of the Catholic Christians in Palestine. When are the US Catholics going to wake up and begin helping our own brothers and sisters. I’m sure we must all be awake here at Catholic Answers, so I’m curious as to what everyone here is doing to help stop the Apartheid.

It is not surprising that the Presbyterian church is the biggest contributor to anti-Israeli groups in Palestine, as its leadership is left-wing and can be counted on to oppose anything the U.S. or its allies might do, and support many of their enemies. That is part of the reason its membership is in a sharp decline.

There are a lot of supposed charities whose funds actually go to terrorist groups. Without saying anything about yours, though it seems more political than anything else, I will say that as soon as my own bishop announces a collection for Catholics in Palestine, I will have confidence in the legitimacy of the cause and will certainly contribute. Not until then.

 

[Christy74]

It is not surprising that the Presbyterian church is the biggest contributor to anti-Israeli groups in Palestine, as its leadership is left-wing and can be counted on to oppose anything the U.S. or its allies might do, and support many of their enemies. That is part of the reason its membership is in a sharp decline.

There are a lot of supposed charities whose funds actually go to terrorist groups. Without saying anything about yours, though it seems more political than anything else, I will say that as soon as my own bishop announces a collection for Catholics in Palestine, I will have confidence in the legitimacy of the cause and will certainly contribute. Not until then.

So from what you are saying all Palestinian Christians who are currently suffering are “Anti-Israeli” and “Terrorists”. I will pray for you because you have clearly been fed lies and have not bothered to even look into the situation.

Catholic Archbishop Elias Chacour is one of thousands who were forced out of there homes at gun point. He personally tripped over a hand sticking out of the sand - which turned out to be a mass burial site of the next Christian Village over from him.

Abuna Chacour has chosen to not hate those who have decided to treat him and all the Christians who grew up in Galilee and his people who lived going back before Christ came to Earth - the first to embrace Christianity before the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior in this manner.

Rather than embrace hate, which would be so easy to do based on his own personal experiences, he has chosen to do something positive: Create schools where children of all faiths come together to learn and make friends with one another - in attempt to create generations of people who do not hate. He is striving to bring Peace.

Palestinian Catholics are not Terrorists!

I’m simply asking for:

1. Prayer for those suffering in this terrible situation
2. For those who are uninformed of the situation to research and learn what is going on from the Catholic perspective: Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Archbishop Chacour, etc.
3. Share what you learn with others
4. Use your next vacation, if possible, and volunteer your time for Corporal Works of Mercy: House the Homeless, Feed the Hungry, etc.
5. Those who are able, set up petitions to change the way our hard earn tax dollars are spent…we could fund our schools, house our own homeless, etc. if we were able to keep the 10+ million dollars a day which is currently being directed to Israel which they are using to bulldoze Catholic Palestinian homes, build walls to prevent Catholic Palestinians in Bethlehem from getting to medical care, etc.

***I only learned of this situation from:

1. 2 Catholic Palestinian brothers, my former neighbors: Jimmy and Amir who were attending school in Lynchburg, VA
2. From EWTN Catholic Radio when, I forget her name, the Vatican’s Correspondent spoke after her visit to Bethlehem where the Palestinians there were telling her of the affects of the Wall built around them: lack of food, medicine, electricity, access to hospitals, etc. and she shared it on EWTN Radio
3. I heard about Abuna Chacour’s book on Immaculate Heart Radio and sought it out and read it, giving me more insight into the situation and the positive work being done to help.

 

[puzzleannie]

I’m just curious, because I was shocked to find out that it is the Presbyterians of the US who are the biggest helpers of the Catholic Christians in Palestine. .

is their aid counted before or after the Catholic Near EAst Association, to which we have been contributing for over 25 years, and the direct aid from the Vatican?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Palestinian Catholics are not Terrorists!

I’m simply asking for:

1. Those who are able, set up petitions to change the way our hard earn tax dollars are spent…we could fund our schools, house our own homeless, etc. if we were able to keep the 10+ million dollars a day which is currently being directed to Israel which they are using to bulldoze Catholic Palestinian homes, build walls to prevent Catholic Palestinians in Bethlehem from getting to medical care, etc.

Never did I say Palestinian Catholics are terrorists. George Habash was, of course, a notorious terrorist, but I guess maybe he was Orthodox, right?

Well, you were also asking for money.

There are all sorts of groups asking for charity in the Middle East, many of whom are fronts for terrorists. I did not say yours is, I simply said I will rely on my own bishop to let me know which Middle Eastern Catholic charities are legitimate and which are not.
I do not donate to charities that solicit funds on blogs any more than I do so to those who solicit on the telephone, and I caution others concerning that. Perhaps your organization would do better to approach the U.S. bishops for endorsement. If you don’t get that endorsement, that tells me everything about it that I need to know.

Your point #5 above is a partisan political statement, which at least minimally suggests to me that your cause is political. You did not suggest that we “save our hard earned tax dollars” by demanding that our government no longer expend any money on Palestinian organizations that murder Israeli civilians. Catholic Israelis are indiscriminately targeted by Palestinian suicide bombers, assassins and rockets, but you do not seem to care about them. This suggests to me that your organization MIGHT simply be one of a number of pro-Hamas, anti-Israeli propaganda groups that come on here from time to time. But perhaps you aren’t, and I certainly hope you aren’t. I’m sure the American bishops could figure that one out if you apply to them for endorsement.

 

[Sepharad]

I am a religious Jew who is anti-zionist, for both religious and humanitarian reasons. While I knew of the many abuses that the zionist entity heaps upon the native people of the Land, I did not know of this particular case!

I’m going to try to get a copy of that book, thanks for mentioning it!

Shalom/Salaam,

Sepharad

 

[Christy74]

is their aid counted before or after the Catholic Near EAst Association, to which we have been contributing for over 25 years, and the direct aid from the Vatican?

I was told by one of my Church members that was present when the Archbishop of Galilee came to our parish and spoke, that he had said that it was the Presbyterians who gave the most aide both financially and volunteer wise as compared to all other sources, including Catholic.

I am glad to know that the Catholic Near East Association is helping in addition to the other Catholic Organization: Catholic Relief Society.

I suppose it is a good thing to remind ourselves of that these Catholic Organizations can only give the volunteer help and financial help needed based on what they receive from us Catholics. Their support is directly related to our support.

 

[Christy74]

I am a religious Jew who is anti-zionist, for both religious and humanitarian reasons. While I knew of the many abuses that the zionist entity heaps upon the native people of the Land, I did not know of this particular case!

I’m going to try to get a copy of that book, thanks for mentioning it!

Shalom/Salaam,

Sepharad

I am so glad to meet you Sepharad!

In my internet research, I have come across (I don’t recall the name now, I have it at home) a group of Hasidic (is that spelled right?) Jews who practice their faith and are against what has been done to the Palestinians. I was shocked to find out on their website that the very first martyr to the Zionists was himself a Jewish Palestinian. Then I later saw on You Tube that in New York this Jewish organization had a demonstration and Zionists were spitting on the Jews who were against the persecutions of the Palestinians.

The way I see it, this is not a religious issue, but an issue with the Israeli government/military. I venture to think that once people know what is going on, they too would be against it.

I have also heard that some of the Israeli military refuse to go into occupied territory, because they themselves are against what is going on.

Hey, do you know of any group which is of mixed religious background which are helping the Palestinians? A mix of Jewish, Islamic and Christian people? If there isn’t one already out there, let’s start one!

Bless you!
Christy

P.S. My boss’s wife is Jewish and a real sweetheart! but she for what Israel is doing to the Palestinians; however, I don’t think she really knows what’s going on. Her grandmother took her mother (about age 8) from Nazi Germany and escaped on a Banana boat and settled in Guatemala until they were able to come to the U.S. When Israel was later created, the family had no interest in moving there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The way I see it, this is not a religious issue, but an issue with the Israeli government/military.

Exactly.

It’s Hamas(Iran) & Fatah(Secularists beholding to Wahabbism) vs. Israel and each other. Similar thing in Lebanon where it’s Hezbollah (Iran) vs. Christians, Sunnis and Druze. Christians in Palestine are caught in wars not of their choosing, the George Habashes and the few Christian members of Hamas and Fatah to the contrary notwithstanding.

A friend of mine is a member of a very old, very large and very well-respected Muslim Palestinian “tribe” (huge, extended family)in both the West Bank and Jordan. His family considers the Israelis arrogant but honorable. They do what they say they will do, and they do not engage in wanton acts. But they retaliate vigorously and are utterly intolerant of the wanton killing of Israelis.

The real enemies peace loving people have over there are the militant wings of Fatah and Hamas, members of a militant offshoot of the former of which murdered a family member of my friend, who was the democratically elected mayor of a West Bank town. His crime was working out a mutually beneficial trade and labor agreement with Israelis; an agreement that brought peace and prosperity to the town, until his assassination, of course. Members of his “tribe” can travel in Israel (secretly, of course, though everyone knows it…you just can’t admit it over there) in perfect safety. Yet, two family members were almost killed in that “Wedding party” blast in Amman, and one young woman of the “tribe” or “family” was killed. Her head was blown off. What was she to the militants? All of them were Muslims, including the assassins.

Israelis can, indeed, be harsh. But nearly everyone over there is harsh. And Hamas is the harshest of all, with Fatah’s militant offshoots a close second. Cross the Israelis and they might just knock your house down or wall you off. They might bomb the house in which you have harbored (willingly or unwillingly) terrorists. Cross Hamas or Fatah, and they’ll kill you, but not without killing your children before your eyes before they do, if they have the power to get it done. The ONLY reason my friend’s tribe did not get wiped out when the mayor did, is that it’s too large, has influence in Jordan, and has too many fighters of its own.

I’m all for charity for the Christians in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran, all of whom need it. I am not for pretending Israelis are the primary cause of the suffering over there, because they aren’t. Keep in mind that both Egypt and Jordan made peace with Israel, and that Egypt has Gaza walled off too, just as Israel has, and for the same reason.

Nor do I get terribly impressed by those who support Christians ONLY as against Israel. Again, what of Israeli Christians who are under rocket attack and assassinations fomented by Hamas and Fatah? Why do you have no sympathy for them?

 

[Christy74]

Well, you were also asking for money.
I’ve never asked for a penny!
There are all sorts of groups asking for charity in the Middle East, many of whom are fronts for terrorists. I did not say yours is, I don’t have a charity!
You did not suggest that we “save our hard earned tax dollars” by demanding that our government no longer expend any money on Palestinian organizations that murder Israeli civilians.
This statement shows that you have not done any research in this matter or you would know that the statistics show that substanially more Palestinian Children die from gunshot wounds to the head by Israeli soldiers that Israeli adults & children are ever killed by a Palestinian terrorist.
Catholic Israelis are indiscriminately targeted by Palestinian suicide bombers, assassins and rockets, but you do not seem to care about them. Abuna Chacour is a Catholic Archbishop, a Palestinian with Israeli Citizenship…you’re saying I don’t care about him…you simply are not making any sense. Of course, I also care about the other Israeli’s who on rare occasion die, the simple fact is more, substanially more, Palesinian people are killed, injured, homes bulldozed, terrorized, etc. on a daily basis.They are what my grandpa, may he rest in peace, would call the “underdog”. They are the ones regularly being attacked. Please research this matter. If you did, your opinion would change and you would mourn for the children, like Christina an 8 year old Catholic of Bethlehem who was killed when the Israeli Army showered bullets on the car she was riding in with her Catholic Family…they were all injured and she was the only one killed. No child, Israeli nor Palestinian should die in this conflict…I’m just asking you to look at the facts, look at the history and you will see who the agressor is in this conflict. This suggests to me that your organization MIGHT simply be one of a number of pro-Hamas, anti-Israeli propaganda groups that come on here from time to time. Now you are just being silly! I have NO ORGANIZATION! I’ve never claimed to have one.

I feel the hatred coming from you. I pray for you. I pray for PEACE in your heart and for PEACE in the hearts of all Israeli’s and for PEACE in the Middle East.
May God richly bless you!

 

[Christy74]

Nor do I get terribly impressed by those who support Christians ONLY as against Israel. Again, what of Israeli Christians who are under rocket attack and assassinations fomented by Hamas and Fatah? Why do you have no sympathy for them?

Abuna Chacour, the Catholic Archbishop of Galilee, is a citizen of Israel…it was not Hamas or Fatah who came with guns into his Christian Village and forced the entire village to leave everything they had. It was not Hamas or Fatah who killed and did a mass burial of everyone (save a couple of elderly people who were unable to walk on their own) the next Christian Village over next to his. It the was Israeli Army made up of European Jews in the late 1940’s who did these things.
Any and every terrorist should stop and make peace.
Remember that Hamas and Fatah did not exist until after Israel was created and Palestinians killed &/or uprooted from their homeland of thousands of years. Desperate times, unfortunately, tend to cause desperate measures. If someone were to bulldoze my home, forbid me to get my dying daughter to the hospital and the result is her death, and my father was taken from our family at gunpoint never to be seen again, my 12 year old cousin shot in the head and I was forced to undress at a security check point in order to get to school, I would be hard pressed to be able to keep peace in my heart and can only hope and pray that I could - rather to react in hatred to those persecuting me.
To be clear, I in NO Way shape or form condon any terrorist, I am looking for a peaceful solution and ask you to do the same.
Blessed are the Peacemakers!
Peace has to begin with us…we must cultivate it in our own hearts and offer it to others so that it may spread like wildfire bringing an end to this terrible situation.
Peace be with you!

Perhaps my question should have been: What are you doing to bring an end to the terrorism against Palestian Christians and what are you doing to sew the seeds of peace?