The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has awarded the Archbishop of Cologne, cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the Golden Palm of Jerusalem for his commitment to the Holy Land and, especially, for the support given to the Christian communities of the Middle East. The distinction was presented this Tuesday in Jerusalem during the solidarity visit that the German prelate is making to the region.
The Golden Palm of Jerusalem is the highest distinction of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem for clerics and recognizes extraordinary services rendered to the Holy Land. Pizzaballa thanked Woelki and his collaborators for their constant work in favor of the people living in the Middle East, with special attention to Christians.
“Sometimes I think that the German aid workers know the situation on the ground better than I do. That shows a great interest in life here,” the patriarch stated during the presentation, according to the Archdiocese of Cologne.
Also George Akroush, director of the Project Development Office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, thanked the support of the Church of Cologne: “I wholeheartedly thank the Church of Cologne for being so close to the people here.”
Woelki: “The Christians here are not forgotten”
Woelki received the decoration during a solidarity trip to the Holy Land taking place between the 24th and 27th of August. The Archbishop of Cologne is also president of the German Association of the Holy Land (Deutscher Verein vom Heiligen Lande), a Catholic organization dedicated to supporting Christians and various religious and social institutions in the region.
The cardinal expressed surprise at the distinction and assured that both he and the German archdiocese will maintain their commitment to the persecuted and needy Christians of the Middle East.
“Our hearts are with the Church of Jerusalem. And the Christians here are not forgotten, especially in Palestine. We will continue to help, pray, and do what we can,” Woelki stated.
The visit aims to directly understand the situation of the Christian communities in a region affected by war and the humanitarian crisis. Before departing, the cardinal had explained that he especially wanted to meet persecuted and displaced people and warned that the presence of Christians in the Holy Land is “increasingly threatened.”
The program has included meetings with Christians and leaders of social initiatives, as well as meetings with Pizzaballa and German diplomatic representatives. On Tuesday, Woelki also celebrated Mass in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Recognition also for a collaborator of the archdiocese
Pizzaballa also distinguished Nadim Ammann, head of the Universal Church and Dialogue area of the Archdiocese of Cologne, for his work in favor of the Holy Land.
As a layperson, Ammann received the Cross of Merit with Golden Star of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Woelki thus concludes his visit to the Holy Land after a week marked by meetings with local communities and support for a Christian presence that the cardinal himself had described, before traveling, as increasingly threatened.