Archbishop of Canterbury Vows to 'Seek Peace and Freedom' for Palestinians on Historic Holy Land Pilgrimage

Dame Sarah Mullally, the 64-year-old Archbishop of Canterbury, began a five-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land on Saturday at the invitation of the Most Rev. Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. During the trip she pledged to use her office to pursue peace and freedom for Palestinians and to carry their stories and experiences back to the Church of England.

Worshippers packed out the church to hear the sermon by the first Archbishop of Canterbury to visit the Palestinian town

Pulpit in Birzeit and a Personal Pledge

On Sunday she preached at St Peter’s Church in Birzeit, becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury to visit the Palestinian town. In her address she thanked the congregation for their welcome and acknowledged the "costliness of life" for people living in the occupied West Bank.

The Archbishop met members of the congregation after her sermon - Andrea Krogmann

"I am aware that I have certain freedoms that many of you do not enjoy—being able to cross borders and checkpoints, spending time in neighbouring communities, and going to Jerusalem. I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to join you in prayer and fellowship," she said. "I will carry these encounters with me as I return home. I will use my role as Archbishop to seek the peace you desire and the freedom you deserve."

Context and Reactions

The visit follows public remarks from other senior church leaders. In December the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, said he had felt "intimidated" by Israeli militias during a visit to the region and described being stopped at checkpoints. Dr Hosam Naoum has also drawn attention to humanitarian concerns, telling the Church of England's General Synod last year that food distribution in Gaza resembled scenes from The Hunger Games.

Dame Sarah also visited the Augusta Victoria hospital in Jerusalem at the start of her five-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land - Andrea Krogmann

Wider Priorities and Meetings

The Archbishop has previously used her platform to call for peace across conflicts and to condemn rising antisemitism in the UK. In her inaugural address she prayed for "all those around the world caught up in war," mentioning Palestinians alongside people in Ukraine, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has also met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to discuss social cohesion and interfaith relations amid increasing incidents of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hostility.

Dame Sarah met and prayed with Layan Nasir, a 27-year-old Palestinian Anglican woman from Birzeit who became a focal point for advocacy by the Christian community after being repeatedly detained by Israeli military forces - Andrea Krogmann

Itinerary and Purpose

The pilgrimage is described as a "joint pilgrimage of prayer and solidarity," and includes visits to East Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Birzeit. The programme features meetings with patriarchs and local church leaders, and visits to healthcare projects and a school run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. The trip aims to strengthen ties with Palestinian Christian communities and to hear directly about pastoral and humanitarian challenges.

Dame Sarah is the 106th—and the first female—Archbishop of Canterbury in the post's roughly 1,400-year history. Earlier this year she completed an 87-mile, six-day walking pilgrimage from London to Canterbury to mark her installation.