COMMUNIQUE ON PLANS FOR NEW MOSQUE IN NAZARETH

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 1999 (VIS) - Following is the text of a declaration made yesterday afternoon by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls on the announcement of the building of a mosque in Nazareth, Israel:

"Some days ago, the patriarchs of Jerusalem, the Custos of the Friars Minor, and the leaders of Christian communities issued a communique in which they expressed their concern for the violence in Nazareth following the announcement of the construction of a mosque. In this communique, the Christian religious authorities also called on the Israeli government to assume its responsibility and to take adequate measures to reestablish order and security and to preserve the sacred character of the city of the Annunciation.

"The Holy See obviously upholds the reasons outlined in the forementioned communique.

"The proposal to build a mosque in the square in front of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth was put forward by people who were not from the place itself, and represents, according to many observers, a provocation.

"Today, the apostolic nuncio in Israel, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, communicated the Holy See concerns regarding this question.

"I can, however, deny that the Holy Father wrote a letter to the Israeli authorities in this regard."

OP;MOSQUE; NAZARETH;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;19990415;Word: 220;