Vatican City, 26 May 2014 (VIS) –
Early this afternoon, the Pope visited the Basilica of the Nativity.
The first historical references to this “cave of the manger of
Bethlehem” date back to Origenes. In 326, the emperor Constantine
ordered the construction of a basilica at the over the Grotto of the
Nativity, with its floor raised slightly higher than ground level.
Damaged by fire and the revolt of the Samaritans, it was restored in
540. In 614, the Persians under Khosrau II invaded the region but
left the Basilica intact on account of its frescoes of the Magi in
Persian dress. In 638, the Muslims entered Bethlehem, which passed to
the Crusaders with the entry of Tancred in 1099. In 1187 Saladin
occupied Jerusalem and Bethlehem but again spared the Shrine. In
1192, the bishop of Salisbury, Hubert Valter, re-established the
Latin cult in return for payment of a tribute by the faithful. In
1347, the Franciscans obtained permission from the Ottomans to
officiate in the Basilica and possession of the Grotto and the
Basilica. In the sixteenth century there began a period of disputes
between Franciscans and Greek Orthodox regarding the possession of
the Basilica, which changed hands according the favour enjoyed at the
Sublime Porte by the nations supporting the communities. With the
defeat of the Venetians and their expulsion from Crete in 1669, the
Orthodox were authorised to take possession of the Grotto and the
Basilica. The latter is still their property, whereas the Grotto of
the Nativity returned to the Franciscans in 1690. St. Catherine's
Basilica, next to the Basilica of the Nativity, is the parish of the
Latins in Bethlehem.
The ownership of the individual Holy
Places is a vexed question that has given rise to dispute between the
communities belonging to the three monotheistic religions of the Holy
Land, and remains a delicate theme for international chancellors. At
the beginning of the seventeenth century, the struggle between the
Byzantine and Latin communities, already heated, began to be affected
by the highs and lows of international politics and the relations
between the powers of the age: the Sultan of Istanbul, who considered
the Christian Holy Places as state property; the Italian Maritime
Republics which protected the Latins; and the Tsar of Russia,
traditionally the protector of Orthodox Churches. Some sanctuaries
passed from one community to another, at times only on the basis of
the sum of money offered to the Sublime Porte. In 1850, a French
request to the Sultan to clarify the matter led to a further dispute
with Russia, and and a decree was issued from Istanbul in February
1852 to authorise the existing situation in the various shrines. The
“statu quo” virtually froze the claims of the Franciscans in
relation to the expropriations of which they had been victims for
centuries, and cost them a high price in terms of human lives and
property. This Ottoman edict remains in force today and continues to
govern the situation in various Shrines such as the Grotto of the
Nativity (Bethlehem), the Cenacle and the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem).
Pope Francis visited the Grotto of the
Nativity, which he reached via an internal passage between the “Casa
Nova” Convent and the Greek-Orthodox Basilica, and spent some time
there in prayer. He returned by the same passage to the Convent where
he was photographed with the Friars. He then proceeded to the
“Phoenix Centre” in Bethlehem, a reception centre in the refugee
camp of Dheisheh; the centre was built as a result of a donation from
Pope John Paul II on his visit in 2000. The Pope was received in the
auditorium of the centre by around one hundred children from the
refugee camps of Dheisheh, Aida and Beit Jibrin. There was a festive
atmosphere with singing, and two children presented the Pope with
drawings, letters and craft works. The Pope prayed with the children,
and before imparting his blessing a child read him a letter in which
he said, 'we are children of Palestine. Our parents have endured
occupation for 66 years. We opened our eyes to this occupation and
have seen the nakba in the eyes of our grandparents as they left this
world. We want to tell the world: enough suffering and humiliation!”.
“Don’t ever allow the past to
determine your lives”, the Holy Father responded. “Always look to
the future, work hard and make efforts to achieve what you want. But
you must understand this: violence cannot be overcome by violence.
Violence is overcome by peace! By peace, by working with dignity to
help your homeland to move forward”. He then returned to the
heliport, where he was awaited by the president of the State of
Palestine who bid the Pope farewell, accompanied by the Guard of
Honour. After a half-hour journey by helicopter the Pontiff arrived
at the International Ben Gurion Airport of Tel Aviv, Israel, where he
was received by Shimon Peres, president of the State; Benjamin
Netanyahu, prime minister; the political, civil and religious
authorities, the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, and a choir of young
people. “I have come on pilgrimage to mark the fiftieth anniversary
of the historic visit of Pope Paul VI”, said Francis. “Since
then, much has changed in the relationship between the Holy See and
the State of Israel: diplomatic relations, established some twenty
years ago, have favoured the development of good relations, as
witnessed by the two Agreements already signed and ratified, and a
third which is in the process of being finalised. In this spirit I
greet all the people of Israel with prayerful good wishes that their
aspirations of peace and prosperity will achieve fulfilment”.
The Pope went on to remark that the
Holy Land is a spiritual point of reference for as the scene of a
multi-millennial history and the principal events in the origin and
growth of the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. “So I express my hope and prayer that this
blessed land may be one which has no place for those who, by
exploiting and absolutising the value of their own religious
tradition, prove intolerant and violent towards those of others”.
He commented that during his pilgrimage he would visit some of the
most significant places in Jerusalem, “a city of universal
importance”. “Jerusalem, of course, means 'city of peace'”, he
continued. “This is what God wills it to be, and such is the desire
of all people of good will. Yet sadly Jerusalem remains deeply
troubled as a result of long standing conflicts. We all know how
urgent is the need for peace, not only for Israel but also for the
entire region. May efforts and energies be increasingly directed to
the pursuit of a just and lasting solution to the conflicts which
have caused so much suffering. In union with all men and women of
good will, I implore those in positions of responsibility to leave no
stone unturned in the search for equitable solutions to complex
problems, so that Israelis and Palestinians may live in peace. The
path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace must constantly be taken
up anew, courageously and tirelessly. There is simply no other way”.
He went on to renew the appeal made by
his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI during his 2009 visit: “the right
of the State of Israel to exist and to flourish in peace and security
within internationally recognised borders must be universally
recognized. At the same time, there must also be a recognition of the
right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign homeland and their
right to live with dignity and with freedom of movement. The 'Two
State Solution' must become reality and not remain merely a dream”.
The Pontiff went on to speak about a
“particularly moving” part of his stay, his visit on Monday to
the Yad Vashem Memorial to the six million Jews who were victims of
the Shoah, “a tragedy which is the enduring symbol of the depths to
which human evil can sink when, spurred by false ideologies, it fails
to recognise the fundamental dignity of each person, which merits
unconditional respect regardless of ethnic origin or religious
belief. I beg God that there will never be another such crime, which
also counted among its victims many Christians and others. Ever
mindful of the past, let us promote an education in which exclusion
and confrontation give way to inclusion and encounter, where there
will be no place for anti-Semitism in any of its forms or for
expressions of hostility, discrimination or intolerance towards any
individual or people”.
He added, “It is with a profoundly
saddened heart that I have heard of how many people lost their lives
in Saturday's atrocious attack in Brussels. I thoroughly condemn this
criminal act of anti-Semitic hatred, and commend the victims to God's
mercy and pray for the recovery of the injured”.
The Holy Father remarked that the
brevity of his visit necessarily limits the encounters he is able to
make, but took the opportunity to greet all Israel’s citizens and
to express his closeness to them, “particularly those living in
Nazareth and in Galilee, where many Christian communities are found”.
He concluded by addressing a “warm and fraternal greeting” to the
bishops and the Christian faithful, and encouraged them “to
persevere in their quiet witness of faith and hope in the service of
reconciliation and forgiveness, following the teaching and example of
the Lord Jesus, who gave his life to bring about peace between God
and man, and between brothers. May you always be a leaven of
reconciliation, bringing hope to others, bearing witness to charity!
Know that you are constantly in my prayers”.
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