| Letter to the Patriarch, the Auxiliary Bishops, the priests
and deacons, the men and women religious, and the faithful of
the Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem for Latins
Pope John Paul II November 28, 1997
1. As the celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000
approaches, my thoughts turn again to the Holy Land and to
Jerusalem, "Mother of all the Churches". It was in
this region, where Christ's words resounded and the great events
of the Redemption occurred, that the first Christian community
came into being and has continued to live down the centuries
without interruption.
The multifaceted presence of Catholic communities with varied
traditions and of other Churches which are not in full communion
with the Catholic Church makes us understand the importance of
Jerusalem to all Christians and their love in turning to her.
2. Catholics there are like a small flock, but they are no
less active in their witness to the Good News. Strengthened by
the love of Christ and the solidarity of the universal Church,
they form a community both one and many. Historical events
brought trials which only the faith of many of Christ's
disciples could overcome; at the same time, they have permitted
the formation of a crossroads of cultures and a diversification
of rites which are proving a treasure and an inspiration.
3. Today I am particularly addressing the Latin community in
the Holy Land. It is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its
reorganization by Pope Pius IX, who at the time appointed a
residential bishop, Giuseppe Valerga, as Patriarch of Jerusalem
for Latins. He arrived in Jerusalem on 17 January 1848 and
immediately begin his ministry with praiseworthy zeal. It was he
who was responsible for opening the first patriarchal seminary,
which has formed many priests, Bishops and Patriarchs, and even
today is the heart of the Diocese.
This decision, dictated by the Successor of Peter's special
pastoral attention, ensured the stability of the ministry which
until then had been carried out by the Latin-rite religious
working in the region. The latter, by their sacrifices, devotion
and prayer, laid the solid foundation of the many parish
activities which currently take place in the Patriarchal
Diocese.
Through its distinguished Pastors and institutions, your
Diocese has always sought to be faithful to its vocation, even
in a context which throughout its 150-year history has
experienced profound social, political and religious change.
Today the Latin Catholic faithful who now live not only in
Jerusalem but also in the Palestinian Territories, the State of
Israel, the Kingdom of Jordan and Cyprus belong to this Diocese,
which extended over the region then called Palestine (cf.
Apostolic Letter Nulla celebrior, n. 3). In the Holy Land, in
addition to the faithful who are predominantly Arabic-speaking,
the Diocese also has a small but important Hebrew-speaking
community.
With strength and courage your Diocese has shown itself
worthy of the special privilege of helping to preserve and
protect the Holy Places of the Redemption. Indeed, it has worked
with the Franciscan Fathers' Custody of the Holy Land in
fulfilling the special mandate officially entrusted to it since
the 14th century by Pope Clement VI: to care for the Christian
shrines and offer assistance to pilgrims there.
4. Jerusalem, crossroads of peace: this is the mysterious
vocation of the Holy City in the history and geography of
salvation; this vocation is becoming that of the whole region
and involves all believers, Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The fact that Latin Catholics and those of the Eastern
Churches live together in the same territory in different ways
is particularly indicative of the Church's catholicity. This
makes it possible fully to appreciate the divinely revealed
heritage of the universal Church (cf. Orientalium Ecclesiarum,
n. 1), which has been preserved and grows in the life of the
Catholic Churches of the East and West. Their diversity does not
harm her unity (cf. ibid., n. 2), but indeed constitutes a
treasure for the whole Church. Indeed, fidelity to their own
traditions permits a sincere return to the sources through which
the Holy Spirit renews each particular Church and works for a
profound commitment with all the Churches.
5. Contact with Christians who are not in full communion with
the Apostolic See makes possible a sincere and real mutual
exchange of joint acts of charity, which are an eloquent
testimony of their reaching out to one another. It is indeed
true that, in the land where the Lord suffered and rose again to
gather the dispersed children of God,the duty to pray and to
work for unity is more pressing, if the fullness of the Gospel
message of salvation is to shine radiantly in the eyes of those
who do not share our faith in Christ, the Messiah and Son of
God. This witness leads one to think that any commitment to
rapprochement between the Churches in charity is the realization
of a concrete project of mutual goodwill and represents a
significant response to the interior movement of Christ's
Spirit. The Lord invites all believers to bear common witness to
their faith, especially in these lands where harmony among
children belonging to different Christian communities can be
seen.
Evidence of this cooperative effort, harmony and dialogue,
which extends far beyond the Latin Patriarchal Diocese, also
comes to us from the ties that the latter maintains with the
region's ecclesial bodies: the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries
of the Holy Land, the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab
Regions, the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East, the
Council of Churches of the Middle East. Your diocese makes a
special contribution to them and receives fraternal support, by
sharing its concerns and problems, which are often common or
similar.
This commitment made in Christ's name can only encourage at
all levels, always and everywhere, relations of mutual esteem,
understanding and cooperation with our brothers and sisters who
belong to other Christian Churches. In the Encyclical Ut unum
sint on the he ecumenical commitment, I had occasion to draw
attention to the demands of cooperation and shared witness:
"Relations between Christians are not aimed merely at
mutual knowledge, common prayer and dialogue. They presuppose
and from now on call for every possible form of practical
cooperation at all levels: pastoral, cultural and social, as
well as that of witnessing to the Gospel message" (n. 40;
cf. Apostolic Letter Orientale lumen, n. 23).
6. By its presence in the same territory as the Islamic and
Jewish communities, and through the exchanges it has with them,
the Latin community has been prepared over time to understand
the importance of interreligious dialogue in the spirit destined
and recommended by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Daily
life presupposes continuous contact with believers of other
religious traditions, for the human, spiritual and moral
development of peoples. It is obvious that respectful dialogue
and joint, fraternal collaboration among all society's members
can be a vigorous appeal for this same understanding to be
achieved in other countries.
Regarding the ties with those who belong to the Jewish
religion, it should be recalled that Jews and Christians have a
common heritage which links them spiritually (cf. Nostra aetate,
n. 4). Both are a blessing for the world (cf. Gen 12:2-3), to
the extent that they work together so that peace and justice
prevail among all people and all individuals and do so in
fullness and in depth, according to the divine plan and in the
spirit of sacrifice which this noble project can demand. They
are all called to be conscious of this sacred duty and to fulfil
it, through honest and friendly dialogue and by collaboration
for the benefit of man and society; I am certain that this
readiness to do God's will for the world will also be a blessing
for our different communities and enable us to cry out with the
psalmist: "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will
spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from
the sky" (Ps 85[84]:10-11).
7. In the dialogue of life and joint work with the followers
of Islam, an enrichment and mutual knowledge are acquired which
are necessary for human solidarity, for fraternal understanding,
for everyday peace and for the vitality of the society which all
are called to build together. The attitude of Christians is not
the result of a particular interest or strategy. It logically
flows from the Gospel message in which Christ invites us to
regard every man as a brother. I have already stressed how
important it is for us all to be convinced that "each
person is unique in God's eyes. Each one ought to be appreciated
for who he is, and, consequently, respected as such. No one
should use his fellow man; no one should exploit his equal; no
one should condemn his brother. It is in these conditions that a
more human, more just and more fraternal world will be able to
be born, a world where each one can find his place in dignity
and freedom" (Address to Young Muslims, Casablanca, 19
August 1985, n. 6; L'Osservatore Romano English edition,
16 September 1985, p. 7).
8. Led by the Spirit and faithful to human values, rich in
the exchange of gifts with the Eastern Catholic communities,
with the other Christian brethren and with all your fellow
citizens of other religious traditions, you Latin Catholics will
be able, with your pastors' help, to face the serious trials
still imposed on you each day by the political and social
situation. Actually, the majority of the Holy Land's inhabitants
are thirsting for justice and peace and, until this thirst is
quenched, they are in danger of feeling deep frustration and
helplessness. I am also turning to all people of goodwill who
live in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East region: hope
must never be lacking, nor the courage to seek for peaceful
coexistence in justice and security. "It is God himself who
asks every individual to have the courage of brotherhood,
dialogue, perseverance and peace!" (Address to the Members
of the Palestinian Authority, Castel Gandolfo, 22 September
1997; L'Osservatore Romano English edition, 24 September 1997,
p. 1).
9. I am certain that, renewed in the Spirit and faithful to
your baptismal promises, you, the Latin Catholics of the Holy
Land, can continue to honour your vocation. It is a question of
listening to the Lord's call and of not being afraid to answer
it despite everything, by a firm commitment: to persevere in
your faith in Christ, to witness to the Lord "in deed and
in truth" (1 Jn 3:18), in simple joys, in suffering and in
your daily problems. It is there that all who in various ways
make the Good News visible and concrete will find strength and
energy: in their daily work, in their service to society, in
education, health care or charitable aid, as well as in the
delicate involvement on behalf of justice and peace.
The threefold dimension of harmony, charity and dialogue
marks the specific vocation to which this particular Church must
respond today. This message I am addressing to her is intended
especially to be an encouragement and exhortation to continue
the part that the Catholics of the Holy Land have played since
1995, when they initiated a special period of reflection, of
renewal in faith and of active presence in their social milieu.
Such a commitment draws its strength and motivation from
Christ's words spoken in this land itself as he traveled it,
"preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every
disease and every infirmity" (Mt 4:23); words of life and
love; words of consolation, hope and strength.
The many worthy institutions in your Diocese are and must
continue to be at the service of all, without distinction, and
especially at the service of the poorest and those who are
suffering in body and soul. May God support the efforts o fall
the Diocese's laity and may the Spirit's active presence help
them always to seek constant cooperation with their pastors! May
Christ's love spur all consecrated persons in the Diocese to
proclaim the Gospel under the leadership of the Patriarch and
the Bishops, wherever the Lord has called them to give witness
to him: in contemplative communities, in pastoral activities, in
schools, in charitable works, in hospitality to pilgrims, in
institutes for study and international meetings!
10. Jerusalem is a place of holiness and a preferred
destination for pilgrimages. Therefore, the Latin Patriarchal
Diocese and its bishops, priests, religious and faithful are a
reference point for pilgrims coming to the Holy Land. The latter
seek the hospitality they need for prayer and for venerating the
Holy Places, but they also wish to find a living and active
Church.
This service to the universal Church requires an even greater
commitment as the celebration of the Great Jubilee of the Year
2000 approaches. For this occasion, "one thing is certain:
everyone is asked to do as much as possible to ensure that the
great challenge of the Year 2000 is not overlooked, for this
challenge certainly involves a special grace of the Lord for the
Church and for the whole of humanity" (Tertio millennio
adveniente, n. 55). The well-known complexity of the situation
in the Holy Land requires appropriate preparations, especially
in the structures that provide hospitality to pilgrims. But
spiritual reflection and prayer will be the true and most
important preparation.
In this period your diocese is especially in harmony with the
universal Church and is preparing to receive everyone who,
physically or sometimes only spiritually, would like to be a
pilgrim in the Holy Land. As you know, I too would like to be a
pilgrim with them all, like Pope Paul VI, who wanted
"personally to honour, in the Holy Places where Christ was
born, lived and died, and, having risen, ascended into heaven,
the first mysteries of our salvation: the Incarnation and the
Redemption" (Address of Pope Paul VI for the close of the
Second Vatican Council, 4 December 1963).
11. I entrust this mission of the Diocese, which for
centuries has taken special care of the Holy Places, to the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Daughter of Zion and
Queen of Palestine.
With these sentiments, I impart a special Apostolic Blessing
to the Patriarch, to all the Pastors and to the faithful of the
Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem for Latins.
From the Vatican, 28 November 1997.
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