HOLY FATHER "GREATLY ENCOURAGED" BY ECUMENICAL MEETING

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2000 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. today Pope John Paul participated in an ecumenical encounter at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He told the patriarchs, archbishops and bishops present that "it is a source of great joy to know that the heads of Christian communities in the Holy City of Jerusalem meet frequently to deal with matters of common interest to the faithful."

"Need I say," he asked, "that I am greatly encouraged by this evening's meeting? It confirms that we have set out on the path to knowing one another better, with the desire to overcome the mistrust and rivalry inherited from the past. Here in Jerusalem, ... (Christ's) words ring out with special resonance, particularly the words He spoke on the night before He died: 'that they may all be one;... so that the world may believe that you have sent me'."

The Holy Father, recalling the meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I, said that "in the intervening years we have learned that the road to unity is a difficult one. This should not discourage us. We must be patient and persevering, and continue to move ahead without wavering."

Turning to the presence of the different Churches and Communities in Jerusalem, John Paul II observed that "the variety and beauty of your liturgical rites, and of your spiritual, theological and canonical traditions and institutions, testifies to the richness of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church, as it has developed down the centuries in the East and in the West. There exists a legitimate diversity which in no way is opposed to the unity of the Body of Christ, but rather enhances the splendor of the Church. ... None of this wealth must be lost in the fuller unity to which we aspire."

"Fraternal cooperation among the Christians of this Holy City is no mere option," affirmed the Holy Father. "Only in a spirit of mutual respect and support can the Christian presence flourish here in a community alive with its traditions and confident in facing the social, cultural and political challenges of an evolving situation. Only by being reconciled among themselves can Christians play their full part in making Jerusalem the City of Peace for all peoples. In the Holy Land, where Christians live side by side with the followers of Judaism and Islam, where there are almost daily tensions and conflicts, it is essential to overcome the scandalous impression given by our disagreements and arguments. In this City it should be eminently possible for Christians, Jews and Muslims to live together in brotherhood and freedom, in dignity, justice and peace."

He closed by recalling that it has been his intention "to give a clearly ecumenical dimension to the Catholic Church's celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000. ... This is a providential time for us to turn to the Lord in order to ask forgiveness for the wounds which the members of our Churches have inflicted upon one another down the years" and "to engage in an ever more fruitful theological dialogue."

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RESURRECTION CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM MYSTERY OF THE CROSS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope celebrated Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Prior to the Mass, he prayed at the stone of anointment and the empty tomb of the Resurrection and was accompanied in procession to the Chapel of the Apparition where the Eucharistic celebration took place.

According to tradition, the Holy Sepulchre is located on the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again. At the present time, the basilica is regulated by the Status Quo and co-owned by the three communities; Latin (represented by the Friars Minor), Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox. Coptic, Syrian and Ethiopian Orthodox may officiate in the basilica.

At the entrance of the basilica, in the atrium, is the stone of anointment, a long block of polished red limestone. Surrounded by candelabra and eight lamps, it constitutes the thirteenth station of the 'Via crucis' (Way of the Cross). According to tradition, this marks the spot where Jesus, having been taken from the cross, was anointed. In the center of the shrine and housed within a rectangular structure, lies the Holy Sepulchre itself, the fourteenth station of the 'Via crucis'. The facade of the structure is covered with hanging lamps and silver spheres. Over the door there are three depictions of the Resurrection: Latin, Greek and Armenian. The small wooden door is always open except during the moment that the Armenian or Greek celebrant must remain alone, as prescribed by the liturgy. The structure houses a small vestibule called the Chapel of the Angel (announcement of the Resurrection to the holy women). A further door gives access to the Holy Sepulchre itself where a marble slab covers the original stone upon which Jesus' body was placed.

At the start of his homily, the Holy Father said: "Here, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I kneel before the place of His burial: 'Behold, the place where they laid Him'. ... The tomb is empty. It is a silent witness to the central event of human history: the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ."

He continued: "Here, where our Lord Jesus Christ died in order to gather into one the children of God who were scattered, may the Father of mercies strengthen our desire for unity and peace among all who have received the gift of new life through the saving waters of Baptism."

The Pope affirmed that "the good news of the Resurrection can never be separated from the mystery of the Cross. ... The Resurrection of Jesus is the definitive seal of all God's promises, the birth-place of a new, risen humanity. ... At the dawn of a new millennium, Christians can and ought to look to the future with steadfast trust in the glorious power of the Risen One to make all things new."

"From this place, where the Resurrection was first made known to the women and then to the Apostles, I urge all the Church's members to renew their obedience to the Lord's command to take the Gospel to all the ends of the earth." He concluded with the words: "Today, as the unworthy Successor of Peter, I wish to repeat these words as we celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice in this, the most hallowed place on earth. With all of redeemed humanity, I make my own the words which Peter the Fisherman spoke to Christ, the Son of the living God: 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life'."

Following Mass and before praying the Angelus, John Paul II said: "With Mary, 'Mater dolorosa', we stand in the shadow of the Cross and weep with her over the affliction of Jerusalem and over the sins of the world. ... Realizing the terrible consequences of sin, we are moved to repentance for our own sins and for the sins of the Church's children in every age. O Mary, conceived without sin, help us on the path to conversion."

The Pope then travelled to the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem where he had lunch with the patriarchs, bishops and the members of his entourage. He then went to the apostolic delegation to rest.

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JOHN PAUL II VISITS TEMPLE MOUNT AND WAILING WALL

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, on this last morning of his Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land, visited the Temple Mount, in the eastern part of Jerusalem's Old City, paid a courtesy call on Sheikh Akram Sabri, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and also made a stop at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall.

The Temple Mount, known in Arabic as Al-Haram Ash-Sharif (most holy and most noble enclosure), is a trapezoid-shaped, walled, raised area which occupies one sixth of Jerusalem's Old City. It was on this site that Solomon built the temple of Jerusalem, which was rebuilt at the end of the first century by Herod, who also doubled the size of the Temple Mount. Two mosques - the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa - occupy this site as well as other holy places with minarets, fountains and tunnels.

The area of the Temple Mount is dear to the followers of the three monotheistic religions; to Jews because it was the site where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, as well as that of Solomon's temple; to Muslims who consider it the third pilgrimage site, after Mecca and Medina, and the place from which the prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven; to Christians because it was here that Christ spoke of the destruction of the Temple.

The golden-domed, octagonal-shaped Dome of the Rock is the oldest extant Muslim monument in the Holy Land. The first mosque, built in 640, was substituted in 687 by the current one. In the 12th century it was transformed into a Christian church by the crusaders, who called it "Templum Domini," thus giving rise to the name of the equestrian order of Templars. It was restored as a Muslim place of worship by Saladin in 1187. In the center of this sumptuously decorated mosque is the sacred rock on which Mohammed prayed before going to Heaven.

The Al-Aqsa mosque, whose name in Arabic means "the furthest away," is, according to Muslim tradition, the spot furthest from Mecca where Muhammed was miraculously carried one night. It was built at the start of the eighth century, was destroyed by earthquakes, rebuilt, became a church of the Templars and, like the Dome of the Rock, was later restored as a Muslim place of worship by Saladin. During the 1938 restoration of the mosque, King Farouk of Egypt restored the ceiling and Mussolini donated the columns of Carrara marble.

Following his visits to these sites which are important for Muslim believers, Pope John Paul was received by the Grand Mufti and several other Muslim leaders.

He next visited what is considered the "spiritual heart" of Judaism, the Wailing Wall. This 15-meter high structure is a fragment of the wall which supported the western side of the esplanade of the temple. Among the customs associated with this wall is that of placing small pieces of paper containing prayer petitions into the crevasses of the wall.

Here, the Holy Father read a passage from the March 12 Day of Pardon at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, asking forgiveness by the Jews for past sins against them by Christians. The Pope placed the paper containing this passage, which he had signed and which bore the papal crest, into the wall. This paper has since been transferred to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

Following these visits to the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall, Pope John Paul II went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where he celebrated his last Mass of this Holy Land pilgrimage.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Rodolfo Cetoloni O.F.M., guardian of the convent at Fiesole, Italy, as bishop of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza (area 1,068, population 71,844, Catholics 69,669, priests 70, permanent deacons 1, religious 121), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Badia Roti, Italy, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973. He succeeds Bishop Alberto Giglioli, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Andre Dupuy, apostolic nuncio in Ghana and Togo, as apostolic nuncio in Venezuela.

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HOLY THURSDAY LETTER TO PRIESTS TO BE MADE PUBLIC

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2000 (VIS) - The Letter of His Holiness John Paul II to Priests for Holy Thursday 2000 will be presented on Thursday, March 30 at 11:30 a.m. during a press conference in the Holy See Press Office. Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos and Archbishop Csaba Terniak, respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Clergy, will present the annual letter.

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POPE RETURNS TO HOLY SEPULCHRE TO PRAY IN CHAPEL OF CALVARY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2000 (VIS) - After lunch, John Paul II made an unscheduled return to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in order to pray at the Chapel of Calvary. During the morning, he had celebrated Mass in the basilica and prayed at the stone of anointment and at the tomb of the Resurrection.

Fr. Luis Terrato, superior of the basilica, said that at 4 p.m. they had just finished praying vespers when a number of policemen arrived, informing them that the Holy Father was about to return. "I could not believe it," said Fr. Terrato, "the Pope had departed in the morning without having visited the Chapel of Calvary, accessed by a stairway of steep stone steps. As he left, he had looked towards that place, however, we never imagined that he would have returned."

With the help of his assistants, the Pope climbed the 22 steps that lead to Golgotha. After praying for 20 minutes, he left the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.

At 6:30 p.m., the Holy Father travelled to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. There, after personally bidding farewell to government ministers and religious authorities, he was accompanied to the stairs of the plane by President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel.

The plane, a Boeing 747 of the Israeli national carrier, El Al, took off at 7:15 p.m. After a flight of three and a half hours it landed at the military airport of Ciampino in Rome. John Paul II was received by Massimo D'Alema, Italian prime minister, and Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome. After greeting the authorities present, John Paul II travelled by helicopter to the Vatican.

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