Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – With a heartfelt plea for an end to 60 years of conflict and the suffering it has caused to Israelis and Palestinians, giving birth to two States, Benedict XVI ended his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This appeal for peace, in the morning, found its most profound expression in his visit to the Holy Sepulchre, where he spoke of the “hope that does not disappoint” offered by Christ’s empty tomb. “The Gospel – he said - reassures us that God can make all things new, that history need not be repeated, that memories can be healed, that the bitter fruits of recrimination and hostility can be overcome, and that a future of justice, peace, prosperity and cooperation can arise for every man and woman, for the whole human family, and in a special way for the people who dwell in this land so dear to the heart of the Saviour.”.
The Pope’s voyage had many objectives, not least the aim of carrying on dialogue with other Christians confessions. To this end his visit to the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate, which lies next to the Holy Sepulchre and to the ancient Armenian patriarchal church of Saint James.
In both meetings, Benedict XVI underlined that importance the Catholic Church attributes to dialogue and the progress that has been made “This dialogue, - he underline din his visit to the Armenians - sustained by prayer, has made progress in overcoming the burden of past misunderstandings, and offers much promise for the future”. “Standing in this hallowed place, - he had said shortly before in the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate - alongside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the site where our crucified Lord rose from the dead for all humanity, and near the cenacle, where on the day of Pentecost “they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1), who could not feel impelled to bring the fullness of goodwill, sound scholarship and spiritual desire to our ecumenical endeavors?”
“It is imperative therefore – he added - that Christian leaders and their communities bear vibrant testimony to what our faith proclaims: the eternal Word, who entered space and time in this land, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked these streets, through his words and actions calls people of every age to his life of truth and love”. Read more...
The Pope’s voyage had many objectives, not least the aim of carrying on dialogue with other Christians confessions. To this end his visit to the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate, which lies next to the Holy Sepulchre and to the ancient Armenian patriarchal church of Saint James.
In both meetings, Benedict XVI underlined that importance the Catholic Church attributes to dialogue and the progress that has been made “This dialogue, - he underline din his visit to the Armenians - sustained by prayer, has made progress in overcoming the burden of past misunderstandings, and offers much promise for the future”. “Standing in this hallowed place, - he had said shortly before in the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate - alongside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the site where our crucified Lord rose from the dead for all humanity, and near the cenacle, where on the day of Pentecost “they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1), who could not feel impelled to bring the fullness of goodwill, sound scholarship and spiritual desire to our ecumenical endeavors?”
“It is imperative therefore – he added - that Christian leaders and their communities bear vibrant testimony to what our faith proclaims: the eternal Word, who entered space and time in this land, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked these streets, through his words and actions calls people of every age to his life of truth and love”. Read more...
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