Vatican City, 28 May 2014 (VIS) – The
Holy Father arrived punctually in St. Peter's Square this Wednesday
morning, and began his general audience by touring the square in the
popemobile to greet the 35,000 faithful and pilgrims who awaited him,
kissing children and blessing religious objects. He then went on to
speak about his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, from which he
returned on Monday. “It was a great gift for the Church”, he
commented, “and I give thanks to God. He led me to that blessed
Land, that has seen the historical presence of Jesus and where events
fundamental to Judaism, Christianity and Islam took place”.
He explained that “the main aim of
this pilgrimage was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the
historic encounter between Pope Pope VI and the Patriarch
Athenagoras. It was the first time that a Successor of Peter visited
the Holy Land: Paul VI thus inaugurated, during Vatican Council II,
the tradition of papal trips outside Italy during the contemporary
era. This prophetic gesture on the part of the bishop of Rome and the
Patriarch of Constantinople constituted a milestone in the arduous
but promising path towards unity among all Christians, which has
taken important steps since then. Therefore, my encounter with His
Holiness Bartholomew, beloved brother in Christ, was the culmination
of the visit. We prayed together at the Holy Sepulchre, along with
the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, and the
Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Nourhan, as well as archbishops and
bishops from various Churches and Communities, civil authorities and
many faithful”.
“In that place, where the
proclamation of the Resurrection resounds, we all felt the bitterness
and suffering of the divisions that continue to exist between
Christ's disciples, and this has really done great harm, harm to the
heart. We are still divided; in that place, where the proclamation of
the Resurrection resounds, where Jesus gives us life, we are still
divided. But above all, in that celebration so rich in mutual
brotherhood, esteem and affection, we strongly heard the voice of the
Risen Good Shepherd who wishes to bring together all His sheep in one
flock; we felt the desire to heal the wounds that are still open and
to follow with tenacity the path to full communion”.
“Once more, like my predecessors, I
ask forgiveness for what we have done to promote that division, and I
pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to heal the wounds we have
inflicted on other brethren. We are all brothers in Christ, and with
the Patriarch Bartholomew we are friends, brothers; we have shared
the desire to walk together, to do what we are able to do today: to
pray together, to work together for God's flock, to seek peace and
protect creation, the many things that we have in common. We must
move forward like brothers”.
Pope Francis went on to speak about a
second aim of the pilgrimage: that of encouraging, in the region, the
path to peace, “which is both a gift from God and a commitment for
humankind”. He continued, “I always did this as a pilgrim, in the
name of God and of humankind, carrying in my heart a great compassion
for the sons of that Land, who have lived in conditions of war for
too long and have the right to finally experience days of peace! For
this reason I exhorted the Christian faithful to let themselves be
anointed by the Holy Spirit, with an open and docile heart, to
increasingly able to make gestures of humility, fraternity and
reconciliation. The Spirit enables us to assume these attitudes in
our daily life, with people of different cultures and religions, and
to thereby become peacemakers”. He added, “peace is crafted day
by day, and with an open heart to allow God's gift to enter”.
The Pontiff commended the efforts made
by the Jordanian authorities and people to welcome the many refugees
from war zones: “a humanitarian effort that deserves and needs the
constant support of the international community. I was impressed by
the generosity of the Jordanian people. May the Lord bless this
welcoming people”. He also commented that in other places during
his pilgrimage he had “encouraged the authorities involved to
continue in their efforts to alleviate the tensions in the Middle
East, especially in war-torn Syria, and to continue their search for
an equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. “For
this reason”, he added, “I invited the president of Israel and
the president of Palestine, men of peace and artisans of peace, to
join me in the Vatican to pray together for peace”.
He commented that the trip had also
offered “the opportunity to confirm the faith of the Christian
communities, who suffer greatly, and to express the gratitude of all
the Church for the presence of Christians in that area and throughout
the Middle East. These brothers of ours are courageous witnesses of
hope and charity, 'salt and light' in the Land. Through their life of
faith and prayer, and with their greatly appreciated educational and
welfare assistance, they work for reconciliation and forgiveness,
contributing to the common good of society”.
“With this pilgrimage”, he
concluded, “I wished be the bearer of a word of hope, but I also
received this in return! I received it from the brothers and sisters
who hope 'against all hope', amid the suffering of those who have
fled their own countries on account of conflicts; of those who,
throughout the world, are derided and discriminated against for their
faith in Christ. Let us stay close to them! Let us pray for them, and
for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle East. May the prayer of
all the Church also support the path to full unity between
Christians, so that the world may believe in God's love that in Jesus
Christ came to live among us”.
Pope Francis concluded by inviting the
faithful to pray a Hail Mary for world peace.
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