Ireland’s most senior Catholic cleric this evening sought to play down an incident which saw the country’s church leaders refused access to Judaism’s holiest site.
Leaders of Ireland's four main churches yesterday visit the wall built by Israel to annex Palestinian land
The heads of the Catholic, Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian churches are on a four-day visit to the Holy Land to call for peace in the area.
During an unscheduled trip to the Western Wall in Jerusalem last night the delegation was turned away from the holy site because they were wearing crucifixes.
Cardinal Sean Brady said Israeli minister Isaac Herzog has apologised for the incident. “The church leaders were visiting central Jerusalem,” he said.
“We decided to pay an unscheduled visit to the Western Wall and because it was unscheduled we hadn’t an opportunity to co-ordinate it with the authorities, so we encountered some difficulties in gaining access to the Wall and there was a difficulty about wearing our crosses.
“The Social Affairs Minister graciously conveyed an apology which we accept and we think the matter should rest there,” said.
The Israeli embassy in Dublin today issued a statement, saying the incident had been the result of a misunderstanding caused by the lack of prior arrangement.
Cardinal Brady, who is travelling with Reverend Roy Cooper, President of the Methodist Church, Dr John Finlay, Presbyterian Moderator and Archbishop Alan Harper, Church of Ireland Primate, said they had experienced a great deal of courtesy from officials.
The visit is focusing mainly on Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
The leaders have been meeting local church leaders and representatives from the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Government as well as seeing first-hand the relief and development work that is being undertaken by partners of Christian Aid and Trocaire.