In November 2025, Archbishop Stephen visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory on a pilgrimage of prayer and solidarity with The Most Revd Hosam Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. Together, they spent time in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the South Hebron Hills, Ramallah, and Nazareth, meeting local church leaders, congregations, and community organisations.
The purpose of the pilgrimage – entitled “A Pilgrimage of Prayer and Solidarity with the Living Stones of the Holy Land” – was to pray with and listen to local Christian communities of the region, often called the “Living Stones” of the Church. Archbishop Stephen also expressed the Church of England’s ongoing commitment to supporting justice, peacebuilding and reconciliation.
Archbishop Stephen Cottrell said: “To walk where Jesus walked and to meet the Living Stones – our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Christ who bear faithful witness in the Holy Land today – was a profound privilege. The pilgrimage was an opportunity to listen, to pray, and to stand in solidarity with those who continue to work for peace, dignity, and hope amid deep and complex realities. My prayer is that our time together may be a sign of our shared faith and our longing for God’s reconciling love to be known by all.”
During the pilgrimage, the Archbishops met with church leaders, local clergy, and lay communities, including youth and women’s ministry representatives, and visited key Christian sites, including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, St Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. The visit concluded with prayers at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
