Archbishop Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has issued a statement decrying the violence engulfing the Holy Land and stating that the two-state solution should “remain the goal of all people of good will.”
He said:
“The Church in England and Wales has a particular concern about the Holy Land. With the encouragement of the Holy See and the support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, we have organised the Holy Land Co-ordination, an annual pilgrimage of Bishops from around the world to support Christians in the region through presence, prayer, pilgrimage and persuasion.
“However, violence continues to engulf the Holy Land, pushing people apart while undermining hopes for peaceful co-existence in a two-state solution. It has also led to a polarisation of views and even despair, which make the necessary bridge building for forgiveness and reconciliation so much more difficult.
“Initiatives that seek to speak out about injustice, violence and conflict are important to raise awareness. We condemn violence and conflict unequivocally, wherever it is perpetrated, as a stain on humanity. However, our calling as Christians goes beyond commentary and condemnation; it is to promote peace, finding hope in our common humanity.
“As Pope Francis said during his visit to the Holy Land in 2014: ‘The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States (two peoples and three faiths) to live in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.’ This was recently echoed by Pope Leo XIV during the Angelus on 16 August 2026, when he stated, ‘I urgently call on the international community to work toward advancing the two-state solution, for a just and lasting peace.’ This should remain the goal of all people of good will.
“People of faith have a particular and shared responsibility to promote mutual respect, engage in dialogue, nurture friendship and construct peace wherever we are. As Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said when he visited the Christian community in Gaza in June: ‘War does not excuse us from living out the Gospel. It does not change our behaviour, our relationships with one another, or our relationships with others.’ He went on to encourage the community to respond not with judgment or fear, but with compassion and generosity. ‘If someone asks you to go one mile, go two miles. This is what is required of us, even in Gaza’.”
“Here, we must follow this example; engaging in dialogue and building bridges between communities. We pray for the people of the Holy Land and we pray for peace.”
You can read past statements on the region by visiting our Holy Land archive.
