The Reverend Naim Stifan Ateek will be instituted as an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu, Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi, on the Second Sunday of Christmas, January 3, 2021, during the Cathedral’s 10:00 AM liturgy. He will be joining the liturgy virtually from Texas. He is a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. He has been an active leader in the shaping of the Palestinian liberation theology. Canon Ateek was to have been with us to speak and to be instituted as an Honorary Canon earlier in 2020. This was forestalled by the pandemic. This is our opportunity to honor his witness to the non-violent struggle for justice and reconciliation in Palestine/Israel.
In preparation for the institution of our new Honorary Canon, I urge all Episcopalians in the Diocese to review the websites of the Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) and the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ). I also hope you will consider joining or making donations to FOSNA and AFEDJ.
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Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt Christian ecumenical organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through nonviolent advocacy and education. Sabeel is an international peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians, who seek a just peace as defined by international law and existing United Nations resolutions.
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American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ) is a nonpolitical, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising financial support for schools, hospitals, centers for children with disabilities and other humanitarian institutions owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. These institutions serve everyone, irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or ability to pay. They build hope for all in the Holy Land. The Christian values of equity, justice, and respect for the dignity of all are at the heart of our efforts.
I also encourage you to read Canon Ateek’s most recent book: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation: The Bible, Justice, and the Palestine-Israel Conflict (Orbis Books, 2017).
