Pope Benedict's Arrival Speech in Israel
"Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in many parts of the world. This is totally unacceptable."
The following is the speech delivered by Pope Benedict XVI at Ben Gurion airport upon his arrival in Israel on May 11, 2009.
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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!
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