Archbishop ‘Atallâh (Hannâ) of Sebastē
Sayyidnâ ‘Atallâh (Hannâ), the Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastē in Nablus, was hospitalised this past Wednesday for inhalation of a poisonous substance, after an Israeli gas canister was fired into the window of his church in Jerusalem. He is expected to make a full recovery, though I am adding my prayers to those of the Church in Jerusalem.
Sayyidnâ ‘Atallâh, a cœnobite and a knight of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre since 1991, he has been active as a teacher of theology and Arabic since that time, well before he was consecrated a bishop. He has been active in the World Council of Churches and has used his position there to draw attention to the plight of Arab Christians in occupied Palestine. To that end he also co-authored the Kairos document in 2003, and has been an activist with regard to Palestinian Christian access to the ancient holy sites of the early Christian Church in the Holy Land. He has even taken positions which have been unpopular among the hierarchs in his own Patriarchate, such as nonviolently supporting the Second Intifada. He was arrested by the Israeli government and his Israeli passport confiscated without valid legal grounds in 2002.
He has spoken up for the true remembrance of Saint George in Christendom as a Palestinian hero and sufferer for the truth, has also been a steadfast and outspoken supporter of the rightful dignity of the Palestinian people, and an equally-ferocious critic of the policies of the state of Israel.
He has proven to be a constant and insistent voice for at least one of the crucified peoples of the world in a way which will not be silenced, and his witness in this day and age on behalf of the Arab people of Palestine is sorely needed. May God speed your recovery, Sayyidnâ! Ya Rabbu irham!
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