SUMMARY:
-
THE POPE ARRIVES IN ISRAEL: ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, IN PEACE
WITHIN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED BORDERS
-
JOINT DECLARATION OF POPE FRANCIS AND THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
BARTHOLOMEW: OUR COMMON SEARCH DOES NOT DISTANCE US FROM THE TRUTH
-
ECUMENICAL ENCOUNTER IN THE HOLY SEPULCHRE: LET US NOT DEPRIVE THE
WORLD OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE RESURRECTION
-
THE POPE AT THE ESPLANADE OF THE MOSQUES: MAY NO-ONE ABUSE THE NAME
OF GOD FOR VIOLENT ENDS
-
POPE FRANCIS AT THE WESTERN WALL
-
AT THE CHIEF RABBINATE OF ISRAEL: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS ONE OF THE FRUITS
OF VATICAN COUNCIL II
-
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL: MAY JERUSALEM
TRULY BE THE CITY OF PEACE
-
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
THE
POPE ARRIVES IN ISRAEL: ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, IN PEACE WITHIN
INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED BORDERS
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – Early this afternoon, the Pope visited
the Basilica of the Nativity. The first historical references to this
“cave of the manger of Bethlehem” date back to Origenes. In 326,
the emperor Constantine ordered the construction of a basilica at the
over the Grotto of the Nativity, with its floor raised slightly
higher than ground level. Damaged by fire and the revolt of the
Samaritans, it was restored in 540. In 614, the Persians under
Khosrau II invaded the region but left the Basilica intact on account
of its frescoes of the Magi in Persian dress. In 638, the Muslims
entered Bethlehem, which passed to the Crusaders with the entry of
Tancred in 1099. In 1187 Saladin occupied Jerusalem and Bethlehem but
again spared the Shrine. In 1192, the bishop of Salisbury, Hubert
Valter, re-established the Latin cult in return for payment of a
tribute by the faithful. In 1347, the Franciscans obtained permission
from the Ottomans to officiate in the Basilica and possession of the
Grotto and the Basilica. In the sixteenth century there began a
period of disputes between Franciscans and Greek Orthodox regarding
the possession of the Basilica, which changed hands according the
favour enjoyed at the Sublime Porte by the nations supporting the
communities. With the defeat of the Venetians and their expulsion
from Crete in 1669, the Orthodox were authorised to take possession
of the Grotto and the Basilica. The latter is still their property,
whereas the Grotto of the Nativity returned to the Franciscans in
1690. St. Catherine's Basilica, next to the Basilica of the Nativity,
is the parish of the Latins in Bethlehem.
The
ownership of the individual Holy Places is a vexed question that has
given rise to dispute between the communities belonging to the three
monotheistic religions of the Holy Land, and remains a delicate theme
for international chancellors. At the beginning of the seventeenth
century, the struggle between the Byzantine and Latin communities,
already heated, began to be affected by the highs and lows of
international politics and the relations between the powers of the
age: the Sultan of Istanbul, who considered the Christian Holy Places
as state property; the Italian Maritime Republics which protected the
Latins; and the Tsar of Russia, traditionally the protector of
Orthodox Churches. Some sanctuaries passed from one community to
another, at times only on the basis of the sum of money offered to
the Sublime Porte. In 1850, a French request to the Sultan to clarify
the matter led to a further dispute with Russia, and and a decree was
issued from Istanbul in February 1852 to authorise the existing
situation in the various shrines. The “statu quo” virtually froze
the claims of the Franciscans in relation to the expropriations of
which they had been victims for centuries, and cost them a high price
in terms of human lives and property. This Ottoman edict remains in
force today and continues to govern the situation in various Shrines
such as the Grotto of the Nativity (Bethlehem), the Cenacle and the
Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem).
Pope
Francis visited the Grotto of the Nativity, which he reached via an
internal passage between the “Casa Nova” Convent and the
Greek-Orthodox Basilica, and spent some time there in prayer. He
returned by the same passage to the Convent where he was photographed
with the Friars. He then proceeded to the “Phoenix Centre” in
Bethlehem, a reception centre in the refugee camp of Dheisheh; the
centre was built as a result of a donation from Pope John Paul II on
his visit in 2000. The Pope was received in the auditorium of the
centre by around one hundred children from the refugee camps of
Dheisheh, Aida and Beit Jibrin. There was a festive atmosphere with
singing, and two children presented the Pope with drawings, letters
and craft works. The Pope prayed with the children, and before
imparting his blessing a child read him a letter in which he said,
'we are children of Palestine. Our parents have endured occupation
for 66 years. We opened our eyes to this occupation and have seen the
nakba in the eyes of our grandparents as they left this world. We
want to tell the world: enough suffering and humiliation!”.
“Don’t
ever allow the past to determine your lives”, the Holy Father
responded. “Always look to the future, work hard and make efforts
to achieve what you want. But you must understand this: violence
cannot be overcome by violence. Violence is overcome by peace! By
peace, by working with dignity to help your homeland to move
forward”. He then returned to the heliport, where he was awaited by
the president of the State of Palestine who bid the Pope farewell,
accompanied by the Guard of Honour. After a half-hour journey by
helicopter the Pontiff arrived at the International Ben Gurion
Airport of Tel Aviv, Israel, where he was received by Shimon Peres,
president of the State; Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister; the
political, civil and religious authorities, the Ordinaries of the
Holy Land, and a choir of young people. “I have come on pilgrimage
to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the historic visit of Pope Paul
VI”, said Francis. “Since then, much has changed in the
relationship between the Holy See and the State of Israel: diplomatic
relations, established some twenty years ago, have favoured the
development of good relations, as witnessed by the two Agreements
already signed and ratified, and a third which is in the process of
being finalised. In this spirit I greet all the people of Israel with
prayerful good wishes that their aspirations of peace and prosperity
will achieve fulfilment”.
The
Pope went on to remark that the Holy Land is a spiritual point of
reference for as the scene of a multi-millennial history and the
principal events in the origin and growth of the three great
monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. “So I
express my hope and prayer that this blessed land may be one which
has no place for those who, by exploiting and absolutising the value
of their own religious tradition, prove intolerant and violent
towards those of others”. He commented that during his pilgrimage
he would visit some of the most significant places in Jerusalem, “a
city of universal importance”. “Jerusalem, of course, means 'city
of peace'”, he continued. “This is what God wills it to be, and
such is the desire of all people of good will. Yet sadly Jerusalem
remains deeply troubled as a result of long standing conflicts. We
all know how urgent is the need for peace, not only for Israel but
also for the entire region. May efforts and energies be increasingly
directed to the pursuit of a just and lasting solution to the
conflicts which have caused so much suffering. In union with all men
and women of good will, I implore those in positions of
responsibility to leave no stone unturned in the search for equitable
solutions to complex problems, so that Israelis and Palestinians may
live in peace. The path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace must
constantly be taken up anew, courageously and tirelessly. There is
simply no other way”.
He
went on to renew the appeal made by his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI
during his 2009 visit: “the right of the State of Israel to exist
and to flourish in peace and security within internationally
recognised borders must be universally recognized. At the same time,
there must also be a recognition of the right of the Palestinian
people to a sovereign homeland and their right to live with dignity
and with freedom of movement. The 'Two State Solution' must become
reality and not remain merely a dream”.
The
Pontiff went on to speak about a “particularly moving” part of
his stay, his visit on Monday to the Yad Vashem Memorial to the six
million Jews who were victims of the Shoah, “a tragedy which is the
enduring symbol of the depths to which human evil can sink when,
spurred by false ideologies, it fails to recognise the fundamental
dignity of each person, which merits unconditional respect regardless
of ethnic origin or religious belief. I beg God that there will never
be another such crime, which also counted among its victims many
Christians and others. Ever mindful of the past, let us promote an
education in which exclusion and confrontation give way to inclusion
and encounter, where there will be no place for anti-Semitism in any
of its forms or for expressions of hostility, discrimination or
intolerance towards any individual or people”.
He
added, “It is with a profoundly saddened heart that I have heard of
how many people lost their lives in Saturday's atrocious attack in
Brussels. I thoroughly condemn this criminal act of anti-Semitic
hatred, and commend the victims to God's mercy and pray for the
recovery of the injured”.
The
Holy Father remarked that the brevity of his visit necessarily limits
the encounters he is able to make, but took the opportunity to greet
all Israel’s citizens and to express his closeness to them,
“particularly those living in Nazareth and in Galilee, where many
Christian communities are found”. He concluded by addressing a
“warm and fraternal greeting” to the bishops and the Christian
faithful, and encouraged them “to persevere in their quiet witness
of faith and hope in the service of reconciliation and forgiveness,
following the teaching and example of the Lord Jesus, who gave his
life to bring about peace between God and man, and between brothers.
May you always be a leaven of reconciliation, bringing hope to
others, bearing witness to charity! Know that you are constantly in
my prayers”.
JOINT
DECLARATION OF POPE FRANCIS AND THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW:
OUR COMMON SEARCH DOES NOT DISTANCE US FROM THE TRUTH
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – After the welcome ceremony at Tel Aviv
airport, the Pope transferred by helicopter to Jerusalem where, at
the Apostolic Delegation, he met with the Ecumenical Patriarch of
Constantinople, Bartholomew, who was accompanied by three high
dignitaries. The meeting was also attended by Cardinal Secretary of
State Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The
Patriarch Bartholomew was elected in 1991 as the 270th Patriarch
archbishop of Constantinople, the New Rome and the Ecumenical
Patriarch. He visited Benedict XVI in the Vatican in 2008 and
participated in the celebration of the second millennium since the
birth of St. Paul. On 19 March 20123 he attended the Mass of the
beginning of Pope Francis' Petrine ministry; it was the first time
since the Great Schism of 1054 that an Orthodox patriarch was present
at the inauguration ceremony of a Catholic pope.
Following
the meeting, Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew signed the
following Joint Declaration:
“1.
Like our venerable predecessors Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch
Athenagoras who met here in Jerusalem fifty years ago, we too, Pope
Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, were determined to meet
in the Holy Land 'where our common Redeemer, Christ our Lord, lived,
taught, died, rose again, and ascended into Heaven, whence he sent
the Holy Spirit on the infant Church' (Common communiqué of Pope
Paul VI and
Patriarch
Athenagoras, published after their meeting of 6 January 1964). Our
meeting, another encounter of the Bishops of the Churches of Rome and
Constantinople founded respectively by the two Brothers the Apostles
Peter and Andrew, is a source of profound spiritual joy for us. It
presents a providential occasion to reflect on the depth and the
authenticity of our existing bonds, themselves the fruit of a
grace-filled journey on which the Lord has guided us since that
blessed day of fifty years ago.
2.
Our fraternal encounter today is a new and necessary step on the
journey towards the unity to which only the Holy Spirit can lead us,
that of communion in legitimate diversity. We call to mind with
profound gratitude the steps that the Lord has already enabled us to
undertake. The embrace exchanged between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch
Athenagoras here in Jerusalem, after many centuries of silence, paved
the way for a momentous gesture, the removal from the memory and from
the midst of the Church of the acts of mutual excommunication in
1054. This was followed by an exchange of visits between the
respective Sees of Rome and Constantinople, by regular correspondence
and, later, by the decision announced by Pope John Paul II and
Patriarch Dimitrios, of blessed memory both, to initiate a
theological dialogue of truth between Catholics and Orthodox. Over
these years, God, the source of all peace and love, has taught us to
regard one another as members of the same Christian family, under one
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to love one another, so that we
may confess our faith in the same Gospel of Christ, as received by
the Apostles and expressed and transmitted to us by the Ecumenical
Councils and the Church Fathers. While fully aware of not having
reached the goal of full communion, today we confirm our commitment
to continue walking together towards the unity for which Christ our
Lord prayed to the Father so 'that all may be one'.
3.
Well aware that unity is manifested in love of God and love of
neighbour, we look forward in eager anticipation to the day in which
we will finally partake together in the Eucharistic banquet. As
Christians, we are called to prepare to receive this gift of
Eucharistic communion, according to the teaching of Saint Irenaeus of
Lyon, through the confession of the one faith, persevering prayer,
inner conversion, renewal of life and fraternal dialogue. By
achieving this hoped for goal, we will manifest to the world the love
of God by which we are recognized as true disciples of Jesus Christ.
4.
To this end, the theological dialogue undertaken by the Joint
International Commission offers a fundamental contribution to the
search for full communion among Catholics and Orthodox. Throughout
the subsequent times of Popes John Paul II and Benedict the XVI, and
Patriarch Dimitrios, the progress of our theological encounters has
been substantial. Today we express heartfelt appreciation for the
achievements to date, as well as for the current endeavours. This is
no mere theoretical exercise, but an exercise in truth and love that
demands an ever deeper knowledge of each other’s traditions in
order to understand them and to learn from them. Thus we affirm once
again that the theological dialogue does not seek a theological
lowest common denominator on which to reach a compromise, but is
rather about deepening one’s grasp of the whole truth that Christ
has given to his Church, a truth that we never cease to understand
better as we follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Hence, we affirm
together that our faithfulness to the Lord demands fraternal
encounter and true dialogue. Such a common pursuit does not lead us
away from the truth; rather, through an exchange of gifts, through
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it will lead us into all truth.
5.
Yet even as we make this journey towards full communion we already
have the duty to offer common witness to the love of God for all
people by working together in the service of humanity, especially in
defending the dignity of the human person at every stage of life and
the sanctity of family based on marriage, in promoting peace and the
common good, and in responding to the suffering that continues to
afflict our world. We acknowledge that hunger, poverty, illiteracy,
the inequitable distribution of resources must constantly be
addressed. It is our duty to seek to build together a just and humane
society in which no-one feels excluded or marginalised.
6.
It is our profound conviction that the future of the human family
depends also on how we safeguard – both prudently and
compassionately, with justice and fairness – the gift of creation
that our Creator has entrusted to us. Therefore, we acknowledge in
repentance the wrongful mistreatment of our planet, which is
tantamount to sin before the eyes of God. We reaffirm our
responsibility and obligation to foster a sense of humility and
moderation so that all may feel the need to respect creation and to
safeguard it with care. Together, we pledge our commitment to raising
awareness about the stewardship of creation; we appeal to all people
of goodwill to consider ways of living less wastefully and more
frugally, manifesting less greed and more generosity for the
protection of God’s world and the benefit of His people.
7.
There is likewise an urgent need for effective and committed
cooperation of Christians in order to safeguard everywhere the right
to express publicly one’s faith and to be treated fairly when
promoting that which Christianity continues to offer to contemporary
society and culture. In this regard, we invite all Christians to
promote an authentic dialogue with Judaism, Islam and other religious
traditions. Indifference and mutual ignorance can only lead to
mistrust and unfortunately even conflict.
8.
From this holy city of Jerusalem, we express our shared profound
concern for the situation of Christians in the Middle East and for
their right to remain full citizens of their homelands. In trust we
turn to the almighty and merciful God in a prayer for peace in the
Holy Land and in the Middle East in general. We especially pray for
the Churches in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, which have suffered most
grievously due to recent events. We encourage all parties regardless
of their religious convictions to continue to work for reconciliation
and for the just recognition of peoples’ rights. We are persuaded
that it is not arms, but dialogue, pardon and reconciliation that are
the only possible means to achieve peace.
9.
In an historical context marked by violence, indifference and egoism,
many men and women today feel that they have lost their bearings. It
is precisely through our common witness to the good news of the
Gospel that we may be able to help the people of our time to
rediscover the way that leads to truth, justice and peace. United in
our intentions, and recalling the example, fifty years ago here in
Jerusalem, of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, we call upon
all Christians, together with believers of every religious tradition
and all people of good will, to recognise the urgency of the hour
that compels us to seek the reconciliation and unity of the human
family, while fully respecting legitimate differences, for the good
of all humanity and of future generations.
10.
In undertaking this shared pilgrimage to the site where our one same
Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and rose again, we humbly
commend to the intercession of the Most Holy and Ever Virgin Mary our
future steps on the path towards the fullness of unity, entrusting to
God’s infinite love the entire human family.
'May
the Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The
Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!'”.
Jerusalem,
25 May 2014.
ECUMENICAL
ENCOUNTER IN THE HOLY SEPULCHRE: LET US NOT DEPRIVE THE WORLD OF THE
PROCLAMATION OF THE RESURRECTION
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – After signing the Joint Declaration, the
Holy Father and the Patriarch Bartholomew went to the Basilica of the
Holy Sepulchre to take part in an ecumenical celebration. The Pope
entered the Square by the Muristan arch, while the Patriarch entered
by the gate of St. Helena. The celebration continued with the
participation of the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, the Syrian
archbishop, the Ethiopian archbishop, the Anglican bishop, the
Lutheran bishop, and others. It was also attended by the general
consuls of the five countries who guarantee the “Statu quo” of
the Basilica (France, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Greece), and the
other consuls of the “Corpus separatum” of Jerusalem
(Switzerland, the United States, Turkey, and the United Kingdom).
The
Holy Sepulchre is, according to tradition, the place where the
burial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ took place.
After the repression of the Jewish revolt in 135, Jerusalem underwent
a radical change: the Jews, Samaritans and Judeo-Christians were
expelled and their return was prohibited. Hadrian, with the intention
of eliminating every trace of the religion that had provoked two
violent revolts, destroyed all places of worship, and the Holy
Sepulchre suffered the same fate: it was razed to the ground, its
cavities filled with earth, and a temple to the goddess Venus-Ishtar
was built over it. During the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the
bishop of Jerusalem, Macarius, invited the emperor Constantine to
restore to light the Holy Sepulchre, which, beneath the rubble, was
perfectly preserved. The Basilica of the Resurrection to be built
there at the behest of the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, and
went on to have a tumultuous history throughout the centuries. The
stone that sealed the tomb was broken during the Persian invasion of
614 and it went on to suffer further damages until the decision of
the Crusaders in 1099 to enclose all the monuments to the death and
Resurrection of Christ in a single building, which remained almost
unaltered until the end of the nineteenth century. Further damages
resulted from the earthquake in 1927 and the first Arab-Israel war in
1948.
The
Basilica continues to be regulated according to the “Statu quo”,
and it is the property of three communities: the Latins (represented
by the Friars Minor), the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Orthodox;
the Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and the Ethiopian Orthodox may
officiate in the Basilica. At the entrance, in the atrium, there is
the Stone of the Anointing, which according to tradition indicates
the place where Jesus, deposed from the Cross, was anointed.
Pope
Francis and the Patriarch Bartholomew were received by the three
superiors of the communities of the “Statu Quo” (Greek Orthodox,
Franciscan and Armenian Apostolic). The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of
Jerusalem Theophilos III and the Custodian of Jerusalem, Fr.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. Cap., and the Armenian Apostolic
Patriarch, His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, venerated the
Stone of the Anointing, followed by the Pope and the Ecumenical
Patriarch.
After
the proclamation of the Gospel and the words of Patriarch
Bartholomew, the Holy Father gave an address in which he commented
that the Basilica, “which all Christians regard with the deepest
veneration”, his pilgrimage in the company of my "beloved
brother in Christ, His Holiness Bartholomew, now reaches its
culmination. We are making this pilgrimage in the footsteps of our
venerable predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, who,
with courage and docility to the Holy Spirit, made possible, fifty
years ago, in this holy city of Jerusalem, an historic meeting
between the Bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople. I
cordially greet all of you who are present. In a special way I
express my heartfelt gratitude to those who have made this moment
possible: His Beatitude Theophilos, who has welcomed us so
graciously, His Beatitude Nourhan Manougian and Father Pierbattista
Pizzaballa”.
“It
is an extraordinary grace to be gathered here in prayer”, he
continued. “The empty tomb, that new garden grave where Joseph of
Arimathea had reverently placed Jesus’ body, is the place from
which the proclamation of the resurrection begins. … This
proclamation, confirmed by the testimony of those to whom the risen
Lord appeared, is the heart of the Christian message, faithfully
passed down from generation to generation. … This is the basis of
the faith which unites us, whereby together we profess that Jesus
Christ, the only-begotten Son of the Father and our sole Lord,
'suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the
dead'. Each of us, everyone baptised in Christ, has spiritually risen
from this tomb, for in baptism all of us truly became members of the
body of the One who is the Firstborn of all creation; we were buried
together with him, so as to be raised up with him and to walk in
newness of life”.
“Let
us receive the special grace of this moment. We pause in reverent
silence before this empty tomb in order to rediscover the grandeur of
our Christian vocation: we are men and women of resurrection, and not
of death. From this place we learn how to live our lives, the trials
of our Churches and of the whole world, in the light of Easter
morning. … Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the basis of
our hope! Let us not deprive the world of the joyful message of the
resurrection! And let us not be deaf to the powerful summons to unity
which rings out from this very place, in the words of the One who,
risen from the dead, calls all of us 'my brothers'”.
“Clearly
we cannot deny the divisions which continue to exist among us, the
disciples of Jesus”, he observed. “This sacred place makes us
even more painfully aware of how tragic they are. And yet, fifty
years after the embrace of those two venerable Fathers, we realise
with gratitude and renewed amazement how it was possible, at the
prompting of the Holy Spirit, to take truly significant steps towards
unity. We know that much distance still needs to be travelled before
we attain that fullness of communion which can also be expressed by
sharing the same Eucharistic table, something we ardently desire; yet
our disagreements must not frighten us and paralyse our progress. We
need to believe that, just as the stone before the tomb was cast
aside, so too every obstacle to our full communion will also be
removed. This will be a grace of resurrection, of which we can have a
foretaste even today. Every time we ask forgiveness of one another
for our sins against other Christians and every time we find the
courage to grant and receive such forgiveness, we experience the
resurrection! Every time we put behind us our long-standing
prejudices and find the courage to build new fraternal relationships,
we confess that Christ is truly risen! Every time we reflect on the
future of the Church in the light of her vocation to unity, the dawn
of Easter breaks forth! Here I reiterate the hope already expressed
by my predecessors for a continued dialogue with all our brothers and
sisters in Christ, aimed at finding a means of exercising the
specific ministry of the Bishop of Rome which, in fidelity to his
mission, can be open to a new situation and can be, in the present
context, a service of love and of communion acknowledged by all”.
“Standing
as pilgrims in these holy places, we also remember in our prayers the
entire Middle East, so frequently and lamentably marked by acts of
violence and conflict. Nor do we forget in our prayers the many other
men and women who in various parts of our world are suffering from
war, poverty and hunger, as well as the many Christians who are
persecuted for their faith in the risen Lord. When Christians of
different confessions suffer together, side by side, and assist one
another with fraternal charity, there is born an ecumenism of
suffering, an ecumenism of blood, which proves particularly powerful
not only for those situations in which it occurs, but also, by virtue
of the communion of the saints, for the whole Church as well. Those
who kill, who persecute Christians out of hatred, do not ask if they
are Orthodox or Catholics: they are Christians. The blood of
Christians is the same”.
Finally,
addressing Bartholomew and all those present, he said, “Your
Holiness, beloved brother, dear brothers and sisters all, let us put
aside the misgivings we have inherited from the past and open our
hearts to the working of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, in
order to hasten together towards that blessed day when our full
communion will be restored. In making this journey, we feel ourselves
sustained by the prayer which Jesus himself, in this city, on the eve
of his passion, death and resurrection, offered to the Father for his
disciples. It is a prayer which we ourselves in humility never tire
to make our own: 'that they may all be one… that the world may
believe'. And when disunity makes us pessimistic, distrusting,
fearful, let us all commend ourselves to the protection of the Holy
Mother of God. When there is spiritual turmoil in the Christian soul,
it is only by seeking refuge under her mantle that we can find peace.
May the Holy Mother of God help us on this journey”.
After
this discourse, the Pope and the Patriarch embraced as a sign of
peace and prayed the Lord's Prayer together in Italian, while the
others present did so in their own languages. They then entered the
Sepulchre to venerate the empty tomb, after which they ascended to
the Basilica together to bless the people. They then continued to
Mount Calvary, accompanied by the Greek and Armenian Patriarchs and
the Custodian of the Holy Land, to venerate the place of Jesus' death
and crucifixion.
THE
POPE AT THE ESPLANADE OF THE MOSQUES: MAY NO-ONE ABUSE THE NAME OF
GOD FOR VIOLENT ENDS
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – Early this morning the Holy Father
visited the Esplanade of the Mosques, or Temple Mount. An artificial
esplanade, trapezoid in shape, it occupies a sixth of the surface
area of the Old City. This area is significant for the three
monotheistic religions, and is thrice holy: for Jews, it is the place
where Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac, as well as the site of the
Temple of Solomon; for Muslims, it is the third destination for
pilgrims after Mecca and Medina; and for Christians, it is the place
of Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem.
In the area there are two of most important Muslim shrines, the
Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The
Pope's car entered by the al-Asbat gate and arrived at the entrance
of the Dome of the Rock, where he was received by the Great Mufti
Muhammad Ahmad Husayn, supreme judicial-religious authority of
Jerusalem and the Arab Muslim people in Palestine, and the
director-general of the council of the “Waqf” (Islamic religious
assets). After a brief visit he was accompanied to the Al-Kubbah
Al-Nahawiyya building, where he was awaited by the high
representatives of the Islamic community.
“Following
in the footsteps of my predecessors, and in particular the historic
visit of Pope Paul VI fifty years ago, the first visit of a Pope to
the Holy Land, I have greatly desired to come as a pilgrim to the
places which witnessed the earthly presence of Jesus Christ”, said
the Pope. But my pilgrimage would not be complete if it did not also
include a meeting with the people and the communities who live in
this Land. I am particularly happy, therefore, to be with you, dear
Muslim faithful, brothers. Francis recalled Abraham, “who lived as
a pilgrim in these lands. Muslims, Christians and Jews see in him,
albeit in different ways, a father in faith and a great example to be
imitated. He became a pilgrim, leaving his own people and his own
house in order to embark on that spiritual adventure to which God
called him”.
The
Pope went on to describe a pilgrim as, like Abraham, “a person who
makes himself poor and sets forth on a journey. Pilgrims set out
intently toward a great and longed-for destination, and they live in
the hope of a promise received. This was how Abraham lived, and this
should be our spiritual attitude. We can never think ourselves
self-sufficient, masters of our own lives. We cannot be content with
remaining withdrawn, secure in our convictions. Before the mystery of
God we are all poor. We realise that we must constantly be prepared
to go out from ourselves, docile to God’s call and open to the
future that he wishes to create for us.
“In
our earthly pilgrimage we are not alone. We cross paths with other
faithful; at times we share with them a stretch of the road and at
other times we experience with them a moment of rest which refreshes
us. Such is our meeting today, for which I am particularly grateful.
It is a welcome and shared moment of rest, made possible by your
hospitality, on the pilgrimage of our life and that of our
communities. We are experiencing a fraternal dialogue and exchange
which are able to restore us and offer us new strength to confront
the common challenges before us”.
“Nor
can we forget that the pilgrimage of Abraham was also a summons to
righteousness”, he continued. “God wanted him to witness his way
of acting and to imitate him. We too wish to witness to God’s
working in the world, and so, precisely in this meeting, we hear deep
within us his summons to work for peace and justice, to implore these
gifts in prayer and to learn from on high mercy, magnanimity and
compassion”.
In
conclusion, the Pope launched an appeal to “all communities who
look to Abraham: may we respect and love one another as brothers and
sisters! May we learn to understand the sufferings of others! May no
one abuse the name of God through violence! May we work together for
justice and peace! Salaam!”
POPE
FRANCIS AT THE WESTERN WALL
Vatican
City, 25 May 2014 (VIS) – At 8 a.m. the Pope transferred from
Temple Mount to the Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”. Fifteen
metres high, this wall is a place of worship for the Jews for
historical and religious reasons, and is linked to numerous
traditions such as that of leaving prayers written on small pieces of
paper between the blocks of the wall. Francis was received by the
Chief Rabbi, who accompanied him to the wall. The Pope prayed in
silence before the wall and, like his predecessors, left a piece of
paper on which he had written the Lord's Prayer; he said, “I have
written it in Spanish because it is the language I learned from my
mother”.
He
then proceeded to Monte Herzl where, in accordance with protocol on
official visits and assisted by a Christian boy and girl, he left a
wreath of flowers in the Israel national cemetery at the tomb of
Theodore Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement. The Holy Father also
strayed slightly from his itinerary to pray at a tomb for the victims
of terrorism in Israel.
He
then travelled by car to the Yad Vashem Memorial, a monument built in
1953 by the State of Israel to commemorate the six million Jewish
victims of the Holocaust. Along with the president and director of
the Centre, the Pope walked around the perimeter of the Mausoleum
before entering the Remembrance Hall, where he was awaited by the
president, the prime minister, and the Rabbi president of the Council
of Yad Vashem. Inside the Hall there is a monument with an eternal
flame positioned in front of the crypt, which contains several urns
with the ashes of victims of various concentration camps. The Pope
lit the flame, placed a yellow and white floral wreath in the
Mausoleum and, before his address, read from the Old Testament. He
then spoke briefly about strength and the pain of man's inhuman evil
and on the “structures of sin” that oppose the dignity of the
human person, created in the image and semblance of God.
“'Adam,
where are you?'. Where are you, o man? What have you come to? In this
place, this memorial of the Shoah, we hear God’s question echo once
more: 'Adam, where are you?' This question is charged with all the
sorrow of a Father who has lost his child. The Father knew the risk
of freedom; he knew that his children could be lost… yet perhaps
not even the Father could imagine so great a fall, so profound an
abyss! Here, before the boundless tragedy of the Holocaust, that cry
– “Where are you?” – echoes like a faint voice in an
unfathomable abyss…
“Adam,
who are you? I no longer recognise you. Who are you, o man? What have
you become? Of what horror have you been capable? What made you fall
to such depths? Certainly it is not the dust of the earth from which
you were made. The dust of the earth is something good, the work of
my hands. Certainly it is not the breath of life which I breathed
into you. That breath comes from me, and it is something good.
“No,
this abyss is not merely the work of your own hands, your own heart…
Who corrupted you? Who disfigured you? Who led you to presume that
you are the master of good and evil? Who convinced you that you were
god? Not only did you torture and kill your brothers and sisters, but
you sacrificed them to yourself, because you made yourself a god.
“Today,
in this place, we hear once more the voice of God: “Adam, where are
you?”
“From
the ground there rises up a soft cry: 'Have mercy on us, O Lord!' To
you, O Lord our God, belongs righteousness; but to us confusion of
face and shame.
“A
great evil has befallen us, such as never happened under the heavens.
Now, Lord, hear our prayer, hear our plea, save us in your mercy.
Save us from this horror.
“Almighty
Lord, a soul in anguish cries out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy!
We have sinned against you. You reign for ever. Remember us in your
mercy. Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done, to
be ashamed of this massive idolatry, of having despised and destroyed
our own flesh which you formed from the earth, to which you gave life
with your own breath of life. Never again, Lord, never again!
“'Adam,
where are you?' Here we are, Lord, shamed by what man, created in
your own image and likeness, was capable of doing. Remember us in
your mercy”.
The
Holy Father concluded his visit by speaking with some Holocaust
survivors and signed the Yad Vashem Book of Honour, where he wrote:
“With shame for what man, created in the image and likeness of God,
was able to do. With shame that man become the patron of evil; with
the shame for what man, believing himself to be god, sacrificed his
brothers to himself. Never again! Never again!"
He
bid farewell to the chorus and the authorities who had greeted him
upon arrival, and left by car for the Heichal Shlomo Centre.
AT
THE CHIEF RABBINATE OF ISRAEL: OUR FRIENDSHIP IS ONE OF THE FRUITS OF
VATICAN COUNCIL II
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis today paid a courtesy visit
to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel at the Heichal Shlomo, where he met
with the two Chief Rabbis, Yona Metzger (Ashkenazi) and Shlomo Amar
(Sephardi). Both also met with Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to
the Holy Land in 2009.
After
a brief discussion with the two Rabbis, Francis addressed those
gathered at Heichal Shlomo, first demonstrating his joy for the warm
welcome he has received and then commenting that, as archbishop of
Buenos Aires, he had counted many Jewish brethren among his friends.
“Together
we organised rewarding occasions of encounter and dialogue; with them
I also experienced significant moments of sharing on a spiritual
level. In the first months of my pontificate, I was able to receive
various organisations and representatives from the Jewish community
worldwide. As was the case with my predecessors, there have been many
requests for such meetings. Together with the numerous initiatives
taking place on national and local levels, these testify to our
mutual desire to know one another better, to listen to each other and
to build bonds of true fraternity”.
He
observed, “This journey of friendship represents one of the fruits
of the Second Vatican Council, and particularly of the Declaration
Nostra Aetate, which proved so influential and whose fiftieth
anniversary we will celebrate next year. I am convinced that the
progress which has been made in recent decades in the relationship
between Jews and Catholics has been a genuine gift of God, one of
those great works for which we are called to bless his holy name:
'Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his love endures forever; who
alone has wrought marvellous works, for his love endures forever'”.
“A
gift of God, yes, but one which would not have come about without the
efforts of so many courageous and generous people, Jews and
Christians alike. Here I would like to mention in particular the
growing importance of the dialogue between the Chief Rabbinate of
Israel and the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with
the Jews. Inspired by the visit of Pope John Paul II to the Holy
Land, this dialogue was inaugurated in 2002 and is already in its
twelfth year. I would like to think that, in terms of the Jewish
tradition of the Bar Mitzvah, it is just coming of age. I am
confident that it will continue and have a bright future in years to
come”.
“We
need to do more than simply establish reciprocal and respectful
relations on a human level”, he remarked. “We are also called, as
Christians and Jews, to reflect deeply on the spiritual significance
of the bond existing between us. It is a bond whose origins are from
on high, one which transcends our own plans and projects, and one
which remains intact despite all the difficulties which, sadly, have
marked our relationship in the past. On the part of Catholics, there
is a clear intention to reflect deeply on the significance of the
Jewish roots of our own faith. I trust that, with your help, on the
part of Jews too, there will be a continued and even growing interest
in knowledge of Christianity, also in this holy land to which
Christians trace their origins. This is especially to be hoped for
among young people”.
“Mutual
understanding of our spiritual heritage, appreciation for what we
have in common and respect in matters on which we disagree: all these
can help to guide us to a closer relationship, an intention which we
put in God’s hands. Together, we can make a great contribution to
the cause of peace; together, we can bear witness, in this rapidly
changing world, to the perennial importance of the divine plan of
creation; together, we can firmly oppose every form of anti-Semitism
and all other forms of discrimination”, he concluded. “May the
Lord help us to walk with confidence and strength in his ways.
Shalom!”
MEETING
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL: MAY JERUSALEM TRULY BE THE
CITY OF PEACE
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis and the president of the
State of Israel, Shimon Peres, met this morning in the Presidential
Palace. It was a very cordial private meeting during which the Holy
Father commented that he would like to invent a new Beatitude, “one
I can apply to myself today: 'Blessed is he who enters the house of a
wise and good man”. They then left the building for the palace
gardens to plant an olive tree together as a symbol of peace. This
was followed by the public meeting, which took place on a specially
installed stage, in the presence of around a hundred children of
various religions.
“I
am grateful to you, Mr President, for your kind and sage words of
greeting and your warm welcome”, said the Holy Father. “I am
happy to be able to meet you once again, this time in Jerusalem, the
city which preserves the Holy Places dear to the three great
religions which worship the God who called Abraham. The Holy Places
are not monuments or museums for tourists, but places where
communities of believers daily express their faith and culture, and
carry out their works of charity. Precisely for this reason, their
sacred character must be perpetually maintained and protection given
not only to the legacy of the past but also to all those who visit
these sites today and to those who will visit them in the future. May
Jerusalem be truly the City of Peace! May her identity and her sacred
character, her universal religious and cultural significance shine
forth as a treasure for all mankind! How good it is when pilgrims and
residents enjoy free access to the Holy Places and can freely take
part in religious celebrations”.
“Mr
President, you are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker”, he
continued. “I appreciate and admire the approach you have taken.
Peacemaking demands first and foremost respect for the dignity and
freedom of every human person, which Jews, Christians and Muslims
alike believe to be created by God and destined to eternal life. This
shared conviction enables us resolutely to pursue peaceful solutions
to every controversy and conflict. Here I renew my plea that all
parties avoid initiatives and actions which contradict their stated
determination to reach a true agreement and that they tirelessly work
for peace, with decisiveness and tenacity”.
“There
is likewise the need for a firm rejection of all that is opposed to
the cultivation of peace and respectful relations between Jews,
Christians and Muslims. We think, for example, of recourse to
violence and terrorism, all forms of discrimination on the basis of
race or religion, attempts to impose one’s own point of view at the
expense of the rights of others, anti-Semitism in all its possible
expressions, and signs of intolerance directed against individuals or
places of worship, be they Jewish, Christian or Muslim”.
He
recalled that “a variety of Christian communities live and work in
the State of Israel. They are an integral part of society and
participate fully in its civic, political and cultural affairs.
Christians wish, as such, to contribute to the common good and the
growth of peace; they wish to do so as full-fledged citizens who
reject extremism in all its forms and are committed to fostering
reconciliation and harmony. The presence of these communities and
respect for their rights – as for the rights of all other religious
groups and all minorities – are the guarantee of a healthy
pluralism and proof of the vitality of democratic values as they are
authentically embodied in the daily life and workings of the State”.
“Mr
President”, he concluded, “you know that I pray for you and I
know that you are praying for me, and I assure you of my continued
prayers for the institutions and the citizens of the State of Israel.
I likewise assure you of my constant prayer for the attainment of
peace and all the inestimable goods which accompany it: security,
tranquillity, prosperity and – the most beautiful of all –
fraternity. Finally, my thoughts turn to all those afflicted by the
continuing crises in the Middle East. I pray that their sufferings
may soon be alleviated by an honourable resolution of hostilities.
Peace be upon Israel and the entire Middle East! Shalom!”.
The
Pontiff, following the meeting, continued his visit at the Pontifical
Institute “Notre Dame of Jerusalem Centre”, a centre of the
Augustine Fathers of the Assumption of France, which welcomes
pilgrims to the Holy Land and is considered as an ecumenical centre
and territorial prelature, whose prelate is the Apostolic Delegate in
Jerusalem and Palestine. Here he received in private audience the
prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Bishop
Felipe Gonzalez Gonzalez, O.F.M. Cap., as apostolic vicar of Caroni
(area 80,309, population 58,800, Catholics 43,700, priests 7,
religious 26), Venezuela Bishop was previoiusly apostolic vicar of
Tucupita, Venezuela.
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