Father Ibrahim Shomali, pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church in Beit Jala (Bethlehem) emailed to me this scanned copy of a two-page letter written to Pope Francis by the Mayor of Beit Jala.
“All the Christian community, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran, we cry to your Holiness with a feeling of despair and urgency in order to keep alive our hope that justice and peace is still possible.”
“Your holiness, we have been left alone facing Israeli aggressions against our defenseless people.”
“Your holiness, your election brought us hope that things would change. We are still hopeful.”
We are a community of faithful, the mother church that still refuses to die and keeps bringing a message of hope when there is no hope.”
May this letter find its way to the eyes and the heart of our beloved Pope Francis.
Click on letter to enlarge and read.
With Open Doors 
We need to keep this prayer request on our prayer line every day ’til good news comes!!
Beautifully written, cogent letter, and I am getting it out to everyone I can think of!!! Blessings. Char