Press Conference by General Minister Giacomo Bini on the OFM Web site, concerning the current tragic circumstances in Israel. We decided to issue this special edition of HNP Today to all our readers.)

Minister General Addresses Crisis In Israel: 'Lay Down Your Arms!' ROME, April 5-We, Franciscan Friars, cannot leave the Holy Places, even if we have to take risks, in order to avoid a tragic massacre in Bethlehem, in the Church of the Nativity.

Eight centuries ago, Francis of Assisi, went unarmed to meet the Sultan of Egypt Malek-EI-Kamel (1220), and he risked his life between two armies in order to construct peace.

Today 40 Friars Minor and 4 Franciscan Sisters, without any free choice of their own, are finding themselves in the same situation: they are living in their own house with the doors already broken in. They are surrounded by two armed groups, 200 Palestinians within the friary and many Israeli tanks outside. We are remaining in our position between two camps, trying the create dialogue with everybody, in order to avoid a tragic end. This is happening in Bethlehem, in the same spot where Jesus "our Peace" was born, within the Basilica of the Nativity, a monument of faith and devotion for so many Christians since the very early centuries of Christianity.

"DO NOT ABANDON US DEFINITELY". This was the cry of the Friars of Bethlehem to the Italian journalists who left after finding shelter in the Friary.

"HELP US!" This is the cry of our Brothers who are locked inside their own house, like "voluntary hostages", in the grips of a war machine.

During eight centuries the Friars have remained in these places as messengers of love of the dead and risen Christ, as witnesses to reconciliation. They have always defended jealously the Holy Places, which are signs and symbols of faith and devotion, and which are the common heritage of humanity.

"WE SHALL NOT ABANDON YOU". These are the words I have told this morning to the Superior of our Friars in Bethlehem. We shall feel ourselves very close to them. In fact, peace is a commitment of all; it is a serious and persevering commitment; it is a commitment which calls for risk, so that everyone should assume one's proper duty with responsibility.

Our Brothers are psychologically and physically tired; they have been left without food because in these last days they have shared all they had with the 200 "occupants". In spite of all this, they cannot abandon this Holy Place: it would mean a massacre which would be added to the long spiral of violence which has lasted for many months, and which would leave once more deep wounds which will never be erased.

To all the parts in the conflict, as Franciscans, we would like to shout: WHO HAS SUFFERED - in a recent or remote past - CANNOT DEEM IT TO BE HIS RIGHT TO CREATE SUFFERING FOR OTHERS. In this way there will never be a solution to pain: vendetta calls again for vendetta, violence leads to more violence, death generates death. It would be an infernal cycle where our earth would become a land of blood and death. It is only in FORGIVENESS that we can build lasting relationships, communion and peace.

We call to everyone: LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS! Return to the best sentiments of the heart which cannot die in any human person. Listen to the "pacific voice of the heart" (and not to the war-torn cry), in order to find, through dialogue, the reasons for agreement and rapprochement.

All the Friars of the world, who have always embraced, helped and defended all parties, are ready once again to be mediators, as they are already doing. We have nothing to lose, in fact, and we have no interests to defend, if not the interest of peace which is a right of everybody.

In a not-too-distant past, in our churches and in our houses we have had refugees, persons "condemned" to death or extermination. We have always welcomed them. We have even gone so far as to make them wear the Franciscan habit to be saved. Today also we are ready to give a "Franciscan habit" of peace to all, so that everybody can become an "instrument of peace". This is our mission, even to the extreme cost of our own life!

In communion with so many children, women and innocent persons who call for mercy, in front of God and in front of us all, we Franciscans ask you once again: LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS! If violence and death continue, we all will be responsible, even though at different levels. There are brothers and sisters who are suffering, and we cannot remain passive, we cannot stop shouting our message:

To the Heads of State: return to reason more than to force; otherwise tomorrow we will all be losers.

To all persons of good will: collaborate with our Brothers and Sisters who are in the front line in Bethlehem: speak out, shout, play your part to build peace. This is urgent! Too many persons have already died or are suffering in hospitals. They are our brothers and sisters!

To the Journalists: "DO NOT LEAVE US ALONE". I repeat this message with the Friars of Bethlehem to your Journalists. You have a great role, a great responsibility: you could become true builders of peace.

 To every man and woman of faith: I ask to plead the Giver of peace, God of heaven and earth, so that He will give us, in spite of our "hard heartedness", this gift which is so indispensable for life, as much as the daily bread we eat.

In communion with the Pope (who has not stopped to make pressing appeals to all), with all the Friars of the Holy Land and with all Christians in the world, let us celebrate Sunday 7th April 2002, as a day of intense prayer, so that the Lord will give days of peace to the two peoples in order that they may live together in peace in the same land.

I invite all the Friars Minor of the world, the Franciscan Contemplatives and all the lay Franciscan persons, to add a moment of personal prayer, every day, for peace.

Thanks to everybody. May the Lord give Peace to that Land which is Holy and bloodstained.

May the Lord give Peace to our world.

Minister General's Letter to President Bush

The Violence in the Holy Land

President George W. Bush President of the United States.

Tuesday, April 2, 2002

Dear Mr. President,

Peace and all good!

On behalf of my fellow Franciscan brothers all over the world and in particular those who are Custodians of the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, and the residents of the town, both Muslim and Christian, I appeal to you to intervene to put an immediate stop to this latest and most serious escalation of violence here and in other parts of the Holy Land.

I support the urgent appeal sent to you by the leaders of the Christian churches in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 2, 2002, in which they make clear that you are the only politician who can do something to bring this tragic cycle of violence to an immediate end. The religious leaders highlight the fact of "wanton indiscriminate killings", as well as the many deprivations suffered by the civilian population.

As followers of St. Francis we commit ourselves to work with the men and women of the Holy Land to achieve a lasting and true peace based on real justice and forgiveness. We are convinced that the only way to resolve this conflict is through negotiation, however long and painful this process may be. We urge you to insist on dialogue as the only legitimate way forward.

Dear Honorable David Ivry,
Ambassador of Israel,

We are writing to you as concerned members of the Franciscan Family in the United States for our Franciscan brothers and sisters of the Holy Land and the welfare of the Palestinian Christians and Muslims in the again occupied city of Bethlehem. Our deeper concern certainly is for the welfare of all the residents of the region including the Israelis. The atrocities and violence perpetuated by both sides in this prolonged conflict must cease for the sake of the promotion of human values.

As we understand the situation, the friars of the Holy Land and the sisters have remained in the Church of the Nativity compound precisely to encourage a peaceful resolution to your country’s siege of the facility and to hold world attention on your government’s occupation of this holy place. Their voluntary presence in the shrine is not to be construed as an affront to your nation’s security but as a witness to the international and inter-religious hope that all the peoples of the region can be joined in peace.

immediate supplies of food and water to be allowed in the church to the brothers, sisters as well as the Palestinians;

immediate medical assistance to those who are wounded or are in some other medical distress;

that the friars and sisters in the church not be considered as hostages;

that the Palestinians be allowed to leave the Church of the Nativity, guaranteeing them their life and thus permitting our communities to resume their work of promoting peace in the region.