POPE RECALLS HIS JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 29, 2000 (VIS) - During today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 60,000 pilgrims, the Pope recalled his Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land which took place from March 20 to 26, saying, "it was like a return to the source, to the roots of faith and of the Church."

John Paul II said that the first stage of his pilgrimage, his visit to Mount Nebo "was a continuation of the pilgrimage to the Sinai: from the top of Mount Nebo, Moses gazed upon the Holy Land."

He said that in Bethlehem, which this year "is the center of the Christian world's attention, ... I celebrated Mass in the central square. ... In the afternoon, I knelt with emotion in the Grotto of the Nativity where I felt the spiritual presence of the whole Church."

"The memory of Jerusalem," he continued, "is indelibly marked on my soul." There "the central and culminating event of the history of salvation occurred: Christ's paschal mystery." In the Cenacle "I celebrated the Eucharist in the same place that it was instituted by Christ."

The Pope indicated that on Sunday, in the Holy Sepulchre itself, he renewed "the announcement of salvation that crosses the centuries and millennia: Christ is Risen! This was the culminating moment of my pilgrimage. Consequently, in the afternoon, I felt the need to pray at Calvary, where Christ spilt His blood for humanity."

Jerusalem, "holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims, ... is called to become a symbol of peace for those who believe in the God of Abraham and follow His law. May men make haste to put this design into effect."

"At Yad Vashem, the Shoah Memorial, I paid homage to the millions of Jewish victims of Nazism. Once more I expressed deep pain for that terrible tragedy and confirmed that 'we wish to remember' in order to commit ourselves together - Jews, Christians and men and women of good faith - in defeating evil with good and so walk along the path of peace."

John Paul II recalled that "the ecumenical meeting that took place in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, with intense participation from all sides, marked an important step along the road to full unity between Christians. ... I invite all to pray that the process of understanding and collaboration between Christians from various Churches may consolidate and develop."

Finally, the Holy Father referred to the Mass on the Mount of the Beatitudes at the Sea of Galilee, "with many young people from the Holy Land and the whole world. A moment full of hope!"

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