The Holy Land Co-Ordination 2009, an important delegation of Catholic Bishops from Europe and North America is going to visit Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the Holy Land during January.

Led by Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, Vice President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, the group including Bishop William Kenney, CP, Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, leave from London on Friday, January 9, for the week-long visit at the request of the Vatican.

The Co-ordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in the Holy Land was set up in Jerusalem in October 1998 at the request of the Holy See. It is organised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales.

Bishop William Kenney, a member of the Passionist Congregation, said: "The engagement of the Catholic Church in the crisis in Gaza is of the utmost importance because violence does not solve problems. What the Church can offer is alternative values. The plight of ordinary people - men, women and children of all ages - must be placed at the centre of this ongoing conflict rather than the political power and prestige of either side."

Bishop Kenney, Spokesman on European Affairs for the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales, emphasised: "Our presence in the Holy Land at this critical time expresses our solidarity with the local Christians. We are confirming the excellent work being done, in particular in the schools and universities which are open to students of all religions."

Bishop Kenney, who is Area Bishop for Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Coventry, added: "We plan to meet with students at Bethlehem University and seminarians from Beit Jala seminary. We will celebrate Mass in parishes and hold meetings with parishioners across the West Bank. We also plan to walk to Bethlehem with school children from across the West Bank."

The group will receive briefings from the Papal Nuncio, the Pope's Ambassador, and the Latin Patriarch. They will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials.