VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI dedicated his remarks during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square, to a review of his recent apostolic trip to the Holy Land from 8 to 15 May, describing it as a "pilgrimage par excellence to the sources of the faith, and at the same time a pastoral visit to the Church that lives" there.
Addressing the 20,000 faithful gathered in the square, the Holy Father recalled the first stage of his trip, which took him to Jordan where he visited Mount Nebo whence Moses saw the Promised Land but died without reaching it, and Bethany Beyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptised by John. The Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo "speaks to us of our status as pilgrims", he said, "suspended between an 'already' and a 'not yet', between a promise so great and beautiful as to support us on our journey, and a realisation that surpasses us, and even surpasses this world. The Church experiences this eschatological and pilgrim 'disposition' in her own being".
The Pontiff also referred to his blessing of the cornerstones of two new churches being built at Bethany, affirming that this was "a sign of the Hashemite Kingdom's openness and respect for religious freedom and for Christian tradition. This fact merits great admiration. ... How important it is for Christians and Muslims to co-exist peacefully and in mutual respect!" he exclaimed. "I therefore prayed that this should also become a reality elsewhere, thinking particularly of Christians who live in the difficult situation of neighbouring Iraq.
"Jordan", he added, "has a large Christian community, which has grown with the influx of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees. Their presence in society is significant and appreciated, also because of their educational and charity work focused on human beings independent of their beliefs or their ethnic or religious background".
"As a sign of the Church's commitment to the field of culture, I also blessed the cornerstone of the University of Madaba, of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. I felt great joy in launching this new academic and cultural institution, because it is a tangible expression of the fact that the Church promotes the search for truth and the common good, offering a suitable open space for all those who wish to dedicate themselves to such research, a vital premise for genuine and fruitful dialogue between civilisations".
The Holy Father then went on to speak of his visit to Israel where, "from my arrival, I presented myself as a pilgrim of faith in the Land where Jesus was born, lived, died and rose again, and, at the same time, as a pilgrim of peace, imploring God that there, where He became man, all people may live as His children, that is, as brothers and sisters".
"In that Land blessed by God at times its seems impossible to escape the spiral of violence. But nothing is impossible for God and for those who trust in Him! For this reason, faith in the one God, just and merciful, which is the most precious resource those people have, must have the power to release all its potential of respect, reconciliation and collaboration". The Pope went on to explain how he had expressed this hope to the Grand Mufti and the heads of the Muslim community of Jerusalem, to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and to organisations dedicated to inter-religious dialogue.
Pope Benedict went on: "Jerusalem is the crossroads of the three great monotheistic religions, and its very name - 'city of peace' - is an expression of God's plan for humankind: to make it one large family. ... This is what Jews, Christians and Muslims are called to bear witness to, so as to honour with their acts the God to Whom they pray with their mouths. This is what I had in my heart, in prayer, as I visited Jerusalem's ... Wailing Wall and Dome of the Rock, symbolic places of Judaism and Islam respectively".
The Pope also recalled his visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. "Each human being is scared" he said, "and his name is written in the heart of the eternal God. The great tragedy of the Shoah must never be forgotten! May it, indeed, always be in our memories as a universal reminder of the sacred respect due to human life, which always possesses infinite value".
The primary goal of the apostolic trip "was to visit the Catholic communities in the Holy Land, and this happened on various occasions in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth", said Benedict XVI, recalling how in the Cenacle he had met the Custos of the Holy Land "to meditate together upon our vocation of being one, of forming one body and one spirit, and transforming the world with the mild power of love".
Yet "the culminating moments of communion with the Catholic faithful were, above all, the Eucharistic celebrations", such as the one in the Valley of Josaphat where the Pope spoke of Christ's resurrection "as a power of hope and peace for that city and for the whole world", and the one in Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Territories, "also attended by faithful from Gaza whom I had the joy of comforting in person, assuring them of my special closeness".
"Bethlehem, the place where the heavenly song of peace sounded out for all mankind", the Holy Father added, "is a symbol of the distance that still separates us from achieving that promise: insecurity, isolation, uncertainty, poverty. All this has caused many Christians to move away, but the Church continues her journey, supported by the faith and bearing witness to love with tangible works of service to our brothers and sisters, such as, for example, the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem ... and humanitarian work in the refugee camps".
The Pontiff's Holy Land trip also took him to the Aida refugee camp where, he said, "I assured the families there of the closeness and support of the universal Church, inviting everyone to seek peace through non-violent methods, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi". Benedict XVI also spoke of the closing Mass of the Year of the Family he had presided in Nazareth, where he "prayed for all families and for a rediscovery of the beauty of marriage and family life", and mentioned his meeting in the Basilica of the Annunciation with pastors, priests, religious and laity of Galilee, where "we sang our faith in the creative and transforming power of God".
The Holy Father's trip concluded on 15 May with a visit to the Holy Sepulchre and with "two important ecumenical meetings in Jerusalem: at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and ... at the Armenian Patriarchal Apostolic Church".
He concluded: "I am happy to be able to recapitulate the entire itinerary I was able to make in the sign of Christ's resurrection. Despite the vicissitudes that over the centuries have affected the Holy Places, despite the wars, the destruction and, alas, the conflicts among Christians, the Church has continued her mission, moved by the Spirit of the Risen Lord, She is on a journey to full unity, that the world may believe in the love of God and experience the joy of His peace".
AG/HOLY LAND TRIP/... VIS 20090520 (1230)
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