Recent Articles, etc

Photo credit: Caritas MONA

On the day we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord from the Holy Land to Heaven, having saved all humanity, I urge for an immediate just and peaceful resolution to the awful conflict in Gaza. You can read my statement below.

+Brian

++++++++++++++++

Like so many of you, my heart is heavy as I witness the ongoing tragedy unfolding in Gaza. The seemingly endless and ever-escalating violence is an affront to our shared humanity and to God's call for justice. As Christians, we are called to speak out against such profound suffering and injustice.

As Bishop President of SCIAF, I have seen first-hand some of the worst of human suffering, and how the horrors of war leave scars that stretch far into the future. At SCIAF, we serve our brothers and sisters at their moment of greatest need, and help them to build better lives where they can flourish. But we also know that charity alone is never enough. Peace and justice, secured by our leaders, underpinned by principles of love, compassion and solidarity, are the key ingredients to a world where all can live life to the fullest. Each day in Gaza we see callous indifference for these principles, and blatant disregard for the dignity of all people.

As Pope Francis said,

"War does not resolve any problem. It only sows death and destruction, increases hate, multiplies vengeance. War erases the future."

For many decades, this war has raged in the Holy Land, escalating in recent years to its most bloody and horrific chapter.

At the heart of this conflict are the innocents caught in the crossfire; displaced, disregarded and broken, used like pawns by their leaders. The actions taken by Hamas on October the 7th and the Israeli Government repeatedly since then amount clearly to acts of collective punishment.

The withholding of food, water and electricity to homes and hospitals, alongside the bombardment of public buildings hosting refugees, and engineered mass displacement must be utterly condemned legally and morally.

We cannot stand by whilst millions of people are treated like cattle. There is no justification for this. The people of Gaza now stand on the brink of famine, and yet aid is still withheld, proposed solutions deeply inadequate, and international humanitarian law consistently disregarded.

God's love is greater than evil so please join me in my prayers for Gaza:

• Prayers for the people, that they do not lose hope, and that their suffering may end and they may know joy and peace again soon.
• Prayers for leaders in Israel and Gaza, that they may truly feel the intolerable pain this war is wreaking and be moved towards agreement as soon as possible of a ceasefire deal, the release of the hostages and anyone else who is unlawfully detained, and a massive increase in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and protection.
• Prayers for our leaders here in Scotland, the UK and those in positions of power around the world, that they may recognise the injustice of the unfolding atrocities in Gaza cannot continue without sanction and use their good offices to do all their can to bring peace to the people of the Holy Land.

+ Brian McGee
President
SCIAF