Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – On the afternoon of Tuesday, May 12, the Holy Father Benedict XVI presided the Mass in the Josaphat Valley in Jerusalem, which is located opposite the Basilica of Gethsemane and the Garden of Olives. “As the Successor of Saint Peter, I have retraced his steps in order to proclaim the Risen Christ in your midst, to confirm you in the faith of your fathers, and to invoke upon you the consolation which is the gift of the Paraclete,” the Holy Father said in the homily. “Standing before you today, I wish to acknowledge the difficulties, the frustration, and the pain and suffering which so many of you have endured as a result of the conflicts which have afflicted these lands, and the bitter experiences of displacement which so many of your families have known and – God forbid – may yet know. I hope my presence here is a sign that you are not forgotten, that your persevering presence and witness are indeed precious in God’s eyes and integral to the future of these lands. Precisely because of your deep roots in this land, your ancient and strong Christian culture, and your unwavering trust in God’s promises, you, the Christians of the Holy Land, are called to serve not only as a beacon of faith to the universal Church, but also as a leaven of harmony, wisdom and equilibrium in the life of a society which has traditionally been, and continues to be, pluralistic, multiethnic and multireligious.”
Commenting on the invitation to hope made by Saint Paul, in the Second Reading of the day, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1), the Pope recalled that the Apostle, “the great herald of Christian hope, knew the cost of that hope, its price in suffering and persecution for the sake of the Gospel, yet he never wavered in his conviction that Christ’s resurrection was the beginning of a new creation.” This exhortation “must constantly echo in our hearts. His words point us to the fulfillment of faith’s vision in that heavenly Jerusalem where, in fidelity to the ancient prophecies, God will wipe away the tears from every eye, and prepare a banquet of salvation for all peoples. This is the hope, this the vision, which inspires all who love this earthly Jerusalem to see her as a prophecy and promise of that universal reconciliation and peace which God desires for the whole human family.”
Observing the present situation, the Holy Father did not fail to mention that “in this Holy City where life conquered death, where the Spirit was poured out as the first-fruits of the new creation, hope continues to battle despair, frustration and cynicism, while the peace which is God’s gift and call continues to be threatened by selfishness, conflict, division and the burden of past wrongs. For this reason, the Christian community in this City which beheld the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit must hold fast all the more to the hope bestowed by the Gospel, cherishing the pledge of Christ’s definitive victory over sin and death, bearing witness to the power of forgiveness, and showing forth the Church’s deepest nature as the sign and sacrament of a humanity reconciled, renewed and made one in Christ, the new Adam.”
Benedict XVI then recalled “Jerusalem’s universal vocation,” a city considered sacred to followers of three great religions: “Jews, Muslims and Christians alike call this city their spiritual home. How much needs to be done to make it truly a 'city of peace' for all peoples, where all can come in pilgrimage in search of God, and hear his voice, 'a voice which speaks of peace'!...As a microcosm of our globalized world, this City, if it is to live up to its universal vocation, must be a place which teaches universality, respect for others, dialogue and mutual understanding; a place where prejudice, ignorance and the fear which fuels them, are overcome by honesty, integrity and the pursuit of peace. There should be no place within these walls for narrowness, discrimination, violence and injustice. Believers in a God of mercy – whether they identify themselves as Jews, Christians or Muslims – must be the first to promote this culture of reconciliation and peace, however painstakingly slow the process may be, and however burdensome the weight of past memories.”
The Pope then mentioned the “tragic reality” of the departure of so many members of the Christian community in recent years, leading to “a great cultural and spiritual impoverishment to the City.” He then repeated what he has affirmed on other occasions: “in the Holy Land there is room for everyone! As I urge the authorities to respect, to support and to value the Christian presence here, I also wish to assure you of the solidarity, love and support of the whole Church and of the Holy See.”
At the close of the homily, after recalling that those who live in the Holy Land and the pilgrims from all over the world have been granted the gift of seeing with the eyes of faith “the places hallowed by Christ’s presence, his earthly ministry, his passion, death and resurrection, and the gift of his Holy Spirit,” the Holy Father expressed this wish: “My prayer for you today is that you continue, day by day, to 'see and believe' in the signs of God’s providence and unfailing mercy, to 'hear' with renewed faith and hope the consoling words of the apostolic preaching, and to 'touch' the sources of grace in the sacraments, and to incarnate for others their pledge of new beginnings, the freedom born of forgiveness, the interior light and peace which can bring healing and hope to even the darkest of human realities.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 13/5/2009)
