Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bethlehem (Agenzia Fides) – On the afternoon of May 13, the Holy Father Benedict XVI traveled to the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem to pay a courtesy visit to the President of the Palestine Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. Here, the Holy Father met with several Palestinian communities from Gaza and the West Bank. After a private meeting with the President of the Palestine Authority and an exchange of gifts, a Farewell Ceremony was held in the Presidential Palace.
“I thank you for the great kindness you have shown me throughout this day that I have spent in your company, here in the Palestinian Territories,” the Pope said at the beginning of his address. “I am grateful to the President, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, for his hospitality and his gracious words. It was deeply moving for me to listen also to the testimonies of the residents who have spoken to us about the conditions of life here on the West Bank and in Gaza. I assure all of you that I hold you in my heart and I long to see peace and reconciliation throughout these tormented lands.”
“It has truly been a most memorable day,” the Pope mentioned in recalling the day. He then mentioned the wall that separates neighbors and divides families, saying: “Although walls can easily be built we all know that they do not last for ever. They can be taken down. First, though, it is necessary to remove the walls that we build around our hearts, the barriers that we set up against our neighbors. That is why, in my parting words, I want to make a renewed plea for openness and generosity of spirit, for an end to intolerance and exclusion. No matter how intractable and deeply entrenched a conflict may appear to be, there are always grounds to hope that it can be resolved, that the patient and persevering efforts of those who work for peace and reconciliation will bear fruit in the end.”
Concluding his address, the Pope mentioned his commitment to take every opportunity “to urge those involved in peace negotiations to work towards a just solution that respects the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike.” As an important step in this direction, the Holy See looks forward to establishing shortly, in conjunction with the Palestinian Authority, the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission that was envisioned in the Basic Agreement, signed in the Vatican on 15 February 2000. “May God look down in love upon each one of you, upon your families and all who are dear to you. And may he bless the Palestinian people with peace.”
At the close of the Farewell Ceremony, the Holy Father crossed the border between the Palestinian Territories and Israel, and returned to the Apostolic Delegation of Jerusalem. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2009)
