25th Holy Land Coordination’s meeting with Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Card. Pizzaballa. (Photo: © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk)
Archbishop of Dijon (France) and First Vice-President of COMECE, Mgr Antoine Hérouard, represented the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) during the 25th Holy Land Coordination in Jerusalem, from 17 to 21 January 2026, expressing solidarity with local Christian communities and supporting initiatives for justice, peace and reconciliation. Read the Appeal | Photo Gallery
The meeting brought together 13 bishops from ten countries in Europe and North America to express solidarity with Christian communities in the region and to support initiatives promoting justice, peace and reconciliation, around three months after the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The gathering took place under the motto “Land of Promise: Encounter with People of Hope.”
On Tuesday, the programme focused on key encounters for the life of the local Church. The group was received by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, and by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. A central moment of the visit was the celebration of the Holy Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, presided over by Card. Pizzaballa.
25th Holy Land Coordination during a visit to a rural village. (Photo: Mgr Herouard / COMECE )
During a video conversation with Fr. Gabriel Romanelli from Gaza, participants heard firsthand about the suffering of the population and underlined the importance of closeness, prayer and international solidarity. As pilgrims, the bishops also visited the Holy Places and celebrated liturgies there, encouraging the faithful in their home countries to undertake pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
During their stay, the group of bishops also visited local Christian communities, met and spoke with Christian faithful, engaged with various local initiatives, and held exchanges with teachers and students, gaining direct insight into the realities of daily life in the region.
The meeting concluded on 21 January 2026 with an appeal to give hope for peaceful perspectives in the Middle East a genuine chance. During his staying in Jerusalem, Archbishop Antoine Hérouard met with Fr. Olivier Poquillon o.p., former general secretary of COMECE and now director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem.
The appeal issued by the group of bishops can be downloaded here. Photos of the visit are available here.
