"THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE HAVE NATURAL RIGHT TO A HOMELAND"

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2000 (VIS) - Shortly after 8 this morning Pope John Paul travelled by helicopter from Jerusalem to Al-Maghtas in the Jordan Valley near Jericho for a private visit to the nearby Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to John the Baptist. The monastery was built on the remains of a fortress constructed by Emperor Justinian to protect pilgrims. Near the monastery there is a site commemorating the baptism of Jesus.

"For many thousands of years," said the Pope in brief remarks, "this area around Jericho has been a human habitat. ... But its memory becomes still richer when we turn to Holy Scripture, which shows Jericho as a place which bears the footprints not only of man but of God Himself. In my mind I see Jesus coming to the waters of the River Jordan not far from here to be baptized by John the Baptist, I see Jesus passing on his way to the Holy City where He would die and rise again; I see Him opening the eyes of the blind man as he passes."

After this visit the Pope went by helicopter to Bethlehem, which is in the Autonomous Territories of the Palestinian National Authorities, where he was greeted by its chairman, Yasser Arafat. Among the religious authorities were Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah and Fr. Giovanni Battistelli, O.F.M., Custos of the Holy Land.

Bethlehem, ten kilometers south of Jerusalem, is a town of 35,000 inhabitants. In Hebrew its name, "Bet Lehem" means "House of Bread"; its name in Arabic, "Beit Lahm" means "House of Meat." In 1995, with the Oslo Accords, Bethlehem became part of the Palestinian Autonomous Territories.

The Holy Father, following a welcome speech by Yasser Arafat, addressed those gathered to greet him, recalling that "the message of Bethlehem is the Good News of reconciliation among men, of peace at every level of relations between individuals and nations."

Expressing "all my happiness at being here today," the Pope asked: "How can I fail to pray that the divine gift of peace will become more and more a reality for all who live in this land, uniquely marked by God's interventions? Peace for the Palestinian people! Peace for all the peoples of the region! No one can ignore how much the Palestinian people have had to suffer in recent decades. Your torment is before the eyes of the world. And it has gone on too long."

John Paul II continued: "The Holy See has always recognized that the Palestinian people have the natural right to a homeland, and the right to be able to live in peace and tranquillity with the other peoples of this area. In the international forum, my predecessors and I have repeatedly proclaimed that there would be no end to the sad conflict in the Holy Land without stable guarantees for the rights of all the peoples involved, on the basis of international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions and declarations."
"Only with a just and lasting peace ' not imposed but secured through negotiation ' will legitimate Palestinian aspirations be fulfilled," the Pope emphasized. "Only then will the Holy Land see the possibility of a bright new future, no longer dissipated by rivalry and conflict, but firmly based on understanding and cooperation for the good of all."

"I am fully aware of the great challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and People in every field of economic and cultural development," the Holy Father said. "In a particular way my prayers are with those Palestinians - Muslim and Christian - who are still without a home of their own, their proper place in society and the possibility of a normal working life. My hope is that my visit today to the Deheisheh Refugee Camp will serve to remind the international community that decisive action is needed to improve the situation of the Palestinian people."

"The promise of peace made at Bethlehem," he closed, "will become a reality for the world only when the dignity and rights of all human beings made in the image of God are acknowledged and respected."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias, of the clergy of Amargosa, Brazil, national director of the 'Prado' movement, as bishop of Paulo Alfonso (area 36,913, population 561,962, Catholics 488,250, priests 29, religious 66), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Santo Antonio de Jesus, Brazil, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977.

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PRIVATE PAPAL VISIT TO CHURCH AND GROTTO OF THE NATIVITY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2000 (VIS) - Following lunch at the Franciscan-run house for pilgrims, the Pope departed in early afternoon for a private visit to the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity on Manger Square where he celebrated Mass this morning.

The very first Basilica of the Nativity was built by the first Christian emperor, Constantine, in 326. Just over 200 years later Emperor Justinian embellished it with a mosaic floor. The basilica was spared damage in ensuing centuries during the Arab occupation and regained its original splendor during the time of the Crusades. In 1347 the Franciscans came into possession of both the basilica and the grotto.

The present situation of co-ownership and administration of the Basilica of the Nativity by Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Latin Catholics is due to the Status Quo, an 1862 code and Ottoman decree which regulates religious life at the Holy Sepulchre and at Bethlehem.

The Greeks own the basilica, except for the north part of the transept which belongs to the Armenians. The Grotto of the Nativity belongs to the Franciscans and is divided into two parts: the Altar of the Nativity, of the Greeks, and the Altar of the Manger in the Grotto of the Magi, of the Latins. Next to the basilica the Franciscans built the Church of St. Catherine where the Roman rite is celebrated.

On both sides of the Greek choir in the basilica are the two entrances to the Grotto of the Nativity. which is rectangular and measures 12 meters in length and 3 meters in both width and height. The bronze doors and marble portals date from the era of the crusades. The apse covers the Altar of the Nativity, under which there is a marble slab with a silver star and the Latin inscription: "Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est" (Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary). To the right of the Altar of the Nativity is the Grotto of the Magi where Catholic Masses are celebrated.
On his visit the Pope passed through the Latin Church of St. Catherine and entered the Basilica of the Nativity on the left side.

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POPE CALLS FOR PEACE IN EVERY TIME AND PLACE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 22, 2000 (VIS) - Following the welcome ceremony at the heliport in Bethlehem, the Pope travelled to Manger Square which is in front of the Basilica of the Nativity. The square marks the junction of the road of the Shepherds' Fields, which is the place the angel appeared, the road of the 'Milk Grotto', where according to tradition Mary fed the Infant Jesus, and the road of Paul VI which recalls the visit of that Pope on January 6, 1964.

The theme of the Mass was: "To us a child is born". In the homily, the Holy Father recalled that in 1978, during his first Christmas as Pope, he had expressed the desire to celebrate the beginning of his pontificate at Bethlehem, yet only now had it proved possible for him to visit the city. "Bethlehem," he said, "is the heart of my Jubilee pilgrimage."

John Paul II then greeted those present, including President Arafat; His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins; members of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land and representatives of the Orthodox Churches and the ecclesial communities of the region.

"Because it is always Christmas in Bethlehem," he continued, "every day is Christmas in the hearts of Christians. And every day we are called to proclaim the message of Bethlehem to the world - 'good news of great joy': the Eternal Word, 'God from God, Light from Light,' has become flesh and made His dwelling among us."

The Holy Father referred to Jesus' affirmation that "all power has been given to me in heaven and on earth," and explained that this meant "the power to vanquish the Evil One, the ultimate victory over sin and death. It is the power to heal the wounds which disfigure the image of the Creator in His creatures. ... This is the message of Bethlehem today and forever. This is the extraordinary gift which the Prince of Peace brought into the world two thousand years ago."

"Today from Manger Square, we cry out to every time and place, and to every person, 'Peace be with you! Do not be afraid!' These words resound through the pages of Scripture. They are divine words, spoken by Jesus Himself after He rose from the dead: 'Do not be afraid!' They are the words of the Church to you today. Do not be afraid to preserve your Christian presence and heritage in the very place where the Savior was born."

Following Mass, the Pope travelled to Bethlehem's 'Casa Nova', a house built by Franciscans in 1908 to welcome pilgrims, where he had lunch.

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