The recent statement from the patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem on Unity and Representation of the Christian Communities in the Holy Land – issued on January 17, 2026 – is regrettable for two principal reasons.Unlike many previous ecclesiastical announcements, it lacks both pastoral sensitivity and theological clarity.BackgroundThere has been much confusion over exactly which cleric(s) issued the patriarchs' statement, why they did so at this time, and who the unnamed local