Pope Leaves Holy Land with a Heartfelt Plea
by Giuseppe Caffulli | May 16, 2009
The Pope delivers his farewell address at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, May 15th.
At around half past one on Friday, a long parade of ministers and religious leaders - and not only Christian ones - said farewell to Pope Benedict XVI from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
The Pope's pilgrimage to the Holy Land had been a difficult one, full of dangers, but which closed on a very positive note. Even though the Israeli press underlined more than once some "coolness" on the part of Benedict XVI (especially if compared with the extraordinary communicative ability of John Paul II - the rock star Pope as the Jerusalem Post defined him today) and some presumed a certain reticence on the Shoah and Nazism, the German Pope definitely said what he wanted to say. Perhaps it was not in the form that many expected, but nothing was forgotten and nobody was left out.
In the Palestinian part of the journey, on Wednesday 13th May, for example, he stressed the need for a State for the two peoples and asked for a serious commitment to forcefully resume the path to peace. He also hoped that the people would resist resorting to violence as a tool to solve conflicts, that oppression be brought to an end, and that "the wall is broken down". He meant the one made of cement, of course, but above all, the one that separates the stories of Israelis and Palestinians, which prevents relations being built on the truth and on mutual esteem. Religions must also play their part, helping the two peoples to weave relations based on a culture of reconciliation and peace, and enabling them to look towards the future with serenity, and transforming the dream of peace into lasting reality.
The Pope was welcomed at his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport by the Israeli President Shimon Peres. He thanked the Holy Father and underlined some important highlights of the journey: Yad Vashem and the clear condemnation of those who manipulate religion for political ends, justifying terrorism "in the name of God". Premier Benjamin Nethanyau was also present.
As a sea wind blew across the tarmac, the Pope recalled the highlights of his historic visit. "As I prepare to return to Rome," he said, "may I share with you some of the powerful impressions that my pilgrimage to the Holy land has left with me. I had fruitful discussions with the civil authorities, both in Israel and in the Palestinian Territories, and I witnessed the great efforts that both governments are making to secure people's well-being. I have met the leaders of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land and I rejoice to see the way that they work together in caring for the Lord's flock. I have also had the opportunity to meet the leaders of the various Christian Churches and ecclesial communities, as well as the leaders of other religions in the Holy Land. This land is indeed a fertile ground for ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue and I pray that the rich variety of religious witness in the region will bear fruit in a growing mutual understanding and respect."
When he arrived in the Holy Land, on his visit to the Presidential palace, Benedict XVI had planted an olive tree with Shimon Peres. The Holy Father used the opportunity to recall once again (as he had already done in Jordan, on Mount Nebo) the "inseparable bond" that unites the people of Israel with Christianity. "The olive tree, as you know, is an image used by St. Paul to describe the very close relations between Christians and Jews," he said. "Paul described in his Letter to the Romans, Paul describes how the Church of the Gentiles is like a wild olive shoot, grafted on to the cultivated olive tree which is the People of the Covenant (cf. 11, 17-24). We are nourished from the same spiritual roots. We meet as brothers, brothers who at times in our history have had a tense relationship, but now are firmly committed to building bridges of lasting friendship."
Then there was the memory of his visit to Yad Vashem, "one of the most solemn moments of my stay in Israel," the Pope said, where he paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. "There, I also met some of the survivors. Those deeply moving meetings brought back memories of my visit three years ago to the death camp at Auschwitz, where so many Jews (mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends) were brutally exterminated under a godless regime which propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred. That appalling chapter of history must never be forgotten or denied. On the contrary, those dark memories should strengthen our determination to draw closer to one another, as branches of the same olive tree, nourished from the same roots and united in brotherly love."
In his thanks for the hospitality offered to him during the trip, the Pope emphasized that he had come "to visit this country as a friend of the Israelis, just as I am a friend of the Palestinian people. Friends enjoy spending time in one another's company and they find it deeply distressing to see one other suffer. No friend of the Israelis and Palestinians can fail to be saddened by the continuing tension between your two peoples. No friend can fail to weep at the suffering and loss of life that both peoples have endured over the last six decades."
Lastly, a strong appeal: "Allow me to make this appeal to all the people of these lands: no more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead, let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be a lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing. Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders. Let it be likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the two-state solution become a reality and not remain a dream. And let peace spread outwards from these lands: let them serve as a "light to the nations" (Is 42,6), bringing hope to the many other regions that are affected by conflicts.
"One of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was the wall," the Pope continued. "As I passed alongside it, I prayed for a future in which the peoples of the Holy Land can live together in peace and harmony without the need for such instruments of security and separation, but rather respecting and trusting one another, and renouncing all forms of violence and aggression. Mr. President, I know how hard it will be to achieve that goal. I know how difficult is your task, and that of the Palestinian Authority. But I assure you that my prayers and the prayers of Catholics across the world are with you as you continue in your effort to build a just and lasting peace in this region."
In these days, the Universal Church truly embraced the Churches of the Holy Land to invoke peace for this land. The pilgrimage of peace by Benedict XVI will certainly remain an important piece in the construction of new relations between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land.