Benedetto XVI in Terra Santa
Pope Prays Tensions and Restrictions Soon End
Pope Benedict XVI has prayed that political tensions and restrictions of movement for Christians of the Holy Land "soon become a thing of the past" in a letter of thanks to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. In the letter, sent May 26th to Archbishop Fouad Twal and released by the patriarchate a couple of days ago, the Holy Father thanked the bishops of the Holy Land "for the gracious hospitality extended to me during my recent stay with you." The Pope said he was "confident that the tradition of pilgrimage will continue long into the future." Full story
Ambassador Lewy Praises Papal Visit
Israel's ambassador to the Holy See has praised Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land last month, saying it showed the best of Vatican diplomacy and helped establish a tradition for future papal visits to the Holy Land. Speaking today at a conference in Rome, Ambassador Mordechay Lewy said the Pope's statements during his pilgrimage "will nourish our relations for a long time", and he singled out for particular praise the Holy Father's comments against Holocaust denial and combating anti-Semitism. Full story
Fr. Pizzaballa: Pope Spoke with Great Clarity to Everyone
"Controversy was expected. A Pope's visit to Israel cannot fail to arouse strong emotions, but also great expectations - and inevitably great disappointments as well. I think that, calmly, the Israelis will look at the speeches again and will consider the attitudes expressed in a different way, to really understand what was said and what was not said."
Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, accompanied Benedict XVI to the Holy Land step by step, from its beginning in Jordan on 8th May. After some reflection, he assesses a visit which can already be defined historic. Full story
Pope Leaves Holy Land with a Heartfelt Plea
"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!" said the Pope as he left the Holy Land. The Pope's pilgrimage to the region had been a difficult one, full of dangers, but which closed on a very positive note. We take a look back on the Holy Father's final words before he boarded the plane back to Rome after a journey in which the Church truly embraced the Churches of the Holy Land to invoke peace. Full story
Twenty Centuries on, Peter's Successor at the Empty Tomb
The pilgrimage by Benedict XVI to the Holy Land came to an end with his visit to the Sepulchre. After welcoming speeches from the Custos of the Holy Land and the Latin Patriarch, the Pope gave an address which took as its starting point the Gospel of St. John, relating the visit of Peter and the loved Disciple to the empty tomb on Easter morning. "The Church in the Holy Land, which has so often experienced the dark mystery of Golgotha, must never cease to be an intrepid herald of the luminous message of hope that this empty tomb proclaims," the Pope said. "The Gospel reassures us that God can make all things new, that history need not be repeated, that memories can be healed, that the bitter fruits of recrimination and hostility can be overcome." Full story