| On Monday morning, 11 May 2009, after about an hour's flight from
Amman, Jordan, the Holy Father landed in Israel, at Ben Gurion
International Airport, Tel Aviv. After thanking President Shimon Peres
for his words of welcome, the Pope spoke of the shared commitment of the
Holy See and the State of Israel to "give religion its rightful place in
the life of society."
Mr President,
Mr Prime Minister,
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for your warm welcome to the State of Israel, a land which is
held holy by millions of believers around the world. I am grateful to
the President, Mr Shimon Peres, for his kind words, and I appreciate the
opportunity that has been offered to me to come on pilgrimage to a land
that is hallowed by the footsteps of patriarchs and prophets, a land
that Christians hold in particular veneration as the setting for the
events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I take my
place in a long line of Christian pilgrims to these shores, a line that
stretches back to the earliest centuries of the Church’s history and
which, I am sure, will continue long into the future. I come, like so
many others before me, to pray at the holy places, to pray especially
for peace – peace here in the Holy Land, and peace throughout the world.
Mr President, the Holy See and the State of Israel have many shared
values, above all a commitment to give religion its rightful place in
the life of society. The just ordering of social relationships
presupposes and requires a respect for the freedom and dignity of every
human being, whom Christians, Muslims and Jews alike believe to be
created by a loving God and destined for eternal life. When the
religious dimension of the human person is denied or marginalized, the
very foundation for a proper understanding of inalienable human rights
is placed in jeopardy.
Tragically, the Jewish people have experienced the terrible consequences
of ideologies that deny the fundamental dignity of every human person.
It is right and fitting that, during my stay in Israel, I will have the
opportunity to honor the memory of the six million Jewish victims of the
Shoah, and to pray that humanity will never again witness a crime of
such magnitude. Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in
many parts of the world. This is totally unacceptable. Every effort must
be made to combat anti-Semitism wherever it is found, and to promote
respect and esteem for the members of every people, tribe, language and
nation across the globe.
During my stay in Jerusalem, I will have the pleasure of meeting many of
this country’s distinguished religious leaders. One thing that the three
great monotheistic religions have in common is a special veneration for
that holy city. It is my earnest hope that all pilgrims to the holy
places will be able to access them freely and without restraint, to take
part in religious ceremonies and to promote the worthy upkeep of places
of worship on sacred sites. May the words of Isaiah’s prophecy be
fulfilled, that many nations shall flow to the mountain of the house of
the Lord, that he may teach them his ways, that they may walk in his
paths – paths of peace and justice, paths that lead to reconciliation
and harmony (cf. Is 2:2-5).
Even though the name Jerusalem means "city of peace", it is all too
evident that, for decades, peace has tragically eluded the inhabitants
of this holy land. The eyes of the world are upon the peoples of this
region as they struggle to achieve a just and lasting solution to
conflicts that have caused so much suffering. The hopes of countless
men, women and children for a more secure and stable future depend on
the outcome of negotiations for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In union with people of good will everywhere, I plead with all those
responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just
resolution of the outstanding difficulties, so that both peoples may
live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and
internationally recognized borders. In this regard, I hope and pray that
a climate of greater trust can soon be created that will enable the
parties to make real progress along the road to peace and stability.
To the Catholic bishops and faithful here present, I offer a special
word of greeting. In this land, where Peter received his commission to
feed the Lord’s sheep, I come as Peter’s successor to minister among
you. It will be my special joy to join you for the concluding
celebrations of the Year of the Family, due to take place in Nazareth,
home of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As I said in my
Message for the World Day of Peace last year, the family is the "first
and indispensable teacher of peace" (No. 3), and hence it has a vital
role to play in healing divisions in human society at every level. To
the Christian communities in the Holy Land, I say: by your faithful
witness to him who preached forgiveness and reconciliation, by your
commitment to uphold the sacredness of every human life, you can make a
particular contribution to ending the hostilities that for so long have
afflicted this land. I pray that your continuing presence in Israel and
the Palestinian Territories will bear much fruit in promoting peace and
mutual respect among all the peoples who live in the lands of the Bible.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, once again I thank you for your
welcome and I assure you of my sentiments of good will. May God give his
people strength! May God bless his people with peace!
Distributed by:
The Holy See Press Office
11 May 2009
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