The Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem will welcome Most Rev Justin Welby to his diocese this weekend, days after he announced his resignation at the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The trip was “long planned”, according to a statement by the Most Reverend Dr. Hosam Naoum, who said that he hoped welcoming Welby would be a time of “personal reflection, healing, and spiritual growth.”
He said: “It was with great sadness that I received on Tuesday of this week the announcement of Archbishop Justin Welby’s resignation.
“The safeguarding of the young and vulnerable is one of the most sacred charges we have within the Church, and the recently released Makin Review makes clear that [there are] both individual and systemic failures within the Church of England.”
The visit is set to consist of a “pilgrimage and solidarity visit”, where the Archbishop will visit “local leaders and youth” to hear about “their struggles in the midst of a devastating war”.
The Most Rev Dr Hosam Naoum concluded by asking for prayer “upon our entire Church, as we seek to discern the Mind of Christ in the weeks ahead”.