Bethlehem is first referred to in the
Bible in relation to the death of Rachel and is identified with the
Euphrates (the fruitful). In the sacred books it is called “Bethlehem
of Judea”, the tribe to which it belonged. David was born and
consecrated a king by the prophet Samuel there, and with the birth of
Jesus, the smallest of Israel's cities gained worldwide importance
and grew due to the influx of pilgrims. In the year 135, the emperor
Adrian introduced the cult of Adonis but Christianity was restored in
330 by Constantine. Following the Islamic conquest in 638, the Caliph
Omar initiated a policy of religious tolerance, but with the arrival
of the crusading army in 1099, the Muslims devastated the city. In
1100 the crusader king of Jerusalem, Baldwin I, was consecrated. The
Arab reconquest in 1187 and the subsequent Ottoman occupation marked
the decline of the citadel which by 1600 had been reduced to a small
village. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the city, the
majority of whose inhabitants were Christians, began a revival. In
1831, the Pasha of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, conquered the city, and the
Muslims, allies of the Ottomans, were driven out and their quarters
burned. Ten years later, the city fell under Ottoman control once
again. Under British rule from 1918, it became part of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan in 1946. In 1967, following the so-called Six Days
War, it was occupied by the Israeli army, along with east Jerusalem
and most of the West Bank. Since 1995 it has been part of the
Autonomous Palestinian Territories following the Oslo Accords (now
the State of Palestine). The then-president of the Palestinian
Authority, Yasser Arafat, ordered the construction of the
presidential Palace which today receives the Pope's visit.
The Holy Father, accompanied by
President Abbas, was greeted by various representatives of the
Palestinian Christian communities from the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip, who delivered various messages, and then transferred to the
Great Hall where he was awaited by the Palestinian authorities and
members of the Diplomatic Corps, whom he addressed.
“For decades the Middle East has
known the tragic consequences of a protracted conflict which has
inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal”, he began. “Even in
the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack of
mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of
rights, isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts,
shortages and sufferings of every sort. In expressing my closeness to
those who suffer most from this conflict, I wish to state my
heartfelt conviction that the time has come to put an end to this
situation which has become increasingly unacceptable. For the good of
all, there is a need to intensify efforts and initiatives aimed at
creating the conditions for a stable peace based on justice, on the
recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual
security. The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be
generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage
to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgement by all of the
right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within
internationally recognized borders”.
“To this end, I can only express my
profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives and actions
which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and
that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and tenacity.
Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region
and for the world as a whole. And so it must resolutely be pursued,
even if each side has to make certain sacrifices”, he emphasised.
“I pray that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and their
respective leaders will undertake this promising journey of peace
with the same courage and steadfastness needed for every journey.
Peace in security and mutual trust will become the stable frame of
reference for confronting and resolving every other problem, and thus
provide an opportunity for a balanced development, one which can
serve as a model for other crisis areas”.
He then referred with affection to the
active Christian community, “which contributes significantly to the
common good of society, sharing in the joys and sufferings of the
whole people. Christians desire to continue in this role as full
citizens, along with their fellow citizens, whom they regard as their
brothers and sisters. Mr President, our recent meeting in the Vatican
and my presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations
existing between the Holy See and the State of Palestine. I trust
that these relations can further develop for the good of all. In this
regard, I express my appreciation for the efforts being made to draft
an agreement between the parties regarding various aspects of the
life of the Catholic community in this country, with particular
attention to religious freedom. Respect for this fundamental human
right is, in fact, one of the essential conditions for peace,
fraternity and harmony. It tells the world that it is possible and
necessary to build harmony and understanding between different
cultures and religions. It also testifies to the fact that, since the
important things we share are so many, it is possible to find a means
of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our
differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are
all brothers and sisters”.
“Mr President, dear brothers gathered
here in Bethlehem: may Almighty God bless you, protect you and grant
you the wisdom and strength needed to continue courageously along the
path to peace, so that swords will be turned into ploughshares and
this land will once more flourish more in prosperity and concord.
Salaam!”
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