-Glimpse into the history of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and shrines in the Holy Land
-Appeal to look forward and shun violence
-Appeal to implement "Two State Solution"
.. 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. ...
Pope Francis to the Palestinians :
“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”.
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”.
Pope's Appeal to implement "Two State Solution"
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”.
| 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 The first historical references to this “cave of the manger of Bethlehem” date back to Origenes.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. |
Vatican Information Service Press Release
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Pope Francis visit to Israel: Itinerary:
Sunday, May 25, 2014
16:30 – Official arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport
17:15 – Departure by helicopter to Jerusalem
17:45 – Arrival at the Jerusalem helipad on Mount Scopus
19:00-20:00 – Ecumenical meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
20:15 – Dinner and meeting with Patriarchs and Bishops at the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem
Monday, May 26, 2014
08:15-09:00 – Meeting with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and tour of the Temple Mount/Esplanade of the Mosques
09:10-09:30 – Visit to the Western Wall
09:45-09:55 – Lay a wreath at grave of Theodor Herzl, at Mount Herzl (with the President and Prime Minister)
10:00-10:30 – Visit to Yad Vashem (with the President and Prime Minister)
10:45 – Visit to the two chief rabbis at Heichal Shlomo
11:40-12:40 – Meeting with President Shimon Peres, at the Presidential Residence
13:00 – Private meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
15:30 – Meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, Mount of Olives
16:00-16:50 – Meeting with 500 priests and seminarians in the Church of Gethsemane, and the planting of a tree
17:20-19:00 – Holy Mass in the Room of the Last Supper (Cenacle)
19:30 – Transfer by helicopter from the Jerusalem helipad on Mount Scopus to Ben Gurion International Airport
20:00 – Farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport
20:15 – Departure from Ben Gurion International Airport to Rome
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President Peres: "I was moved by the message I received today by Pope Francis when his plane traveled across the Israeli sky. The State of Israel greets him with love and appreciation as a Pope who builds bridges of peace and brotherhood between all religions."
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Prime Minister Netanyahu: "We welcome the arrival of Pope Francis to the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. His visit here is an opportunity to show the world the true Israel, the advanced, modern and tolerant Israel, in effect, the only country in the Middle East that ensures complete freedom of worship to those of all faiths, guards the holy places and ensures the rights of all – Jews, Muslims, Christians, everybody."
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Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
