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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"this land is indeed a fertile ground for ecumenism and interreligious
dialogue"
Farewell Address at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International
Airport
H.H. Benedict XVI
Nazareth
May 15, 2009
Mr. President,
Mr. Prime Minister,
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
As I prepare to return to Rome, may I share with you some of the
powerful impressions that my pilgrimage to the Holy Land has left
with me. I had fruitful discussions with the civil authorities both
in Israel and in the Palestinian Territories, and I witnessed the
great efforts that both governments are making to secure people's
well-being. I have met the leaders of the Catholic Church in the
Holy Land, and I rejoice to see the way that they work together in
caring for the Lord's flock. I have also had the opportunity to meet
the leaders of the various Christian Churches and ecclesial
communities as well as the leaders of other religions in the Holy
Land. This land is indeed a fertile ground for ecumenism and
inter-religious dialogue, and I pray that the rich variety of
religious witness in the region will bear fruit in a growing mutual
understanding and respect.
Mr. President, you and I planted an olive tree at your residence on
the day that I arrived in Israel. The olive tree, as you know, is an
image used by Saint Paul to describe the very close relations
between Christians and Jews. Paul describes in his Letter to the
Romans how the Church of the Gentiles is like a wild olive shoot,
grafted onto the cultivated olive tree which is the People of the
Covenant (cf. 11:17-24). We are nourished from the same spiritual
roots. We meet as brothers, brothers who at times in our history
have had a tense relationship, but now are firmly committed to
building bridges of lasting friendship.
The ceremony at the Presidential Palace was followed by one of the
most solemn moments of my stay in Israel -- my visit to the
Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem to pay my respects to the victims
of the Shoah. There I also met some of the survivors. Those deeply
moving encounters brought back memories of my visit three years ago
to the death camp at Auschwitz, where so many Jews -- mothers,
fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, brothers, sisters,
friends -- were brutally exterminated under a godless regime that
propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred. That appalling
chapter of history must never be forgotten or denied. On the
contrary, those dark memories should strengthen our determination to
draw closer to one another as branches of the same olive tree,
nourished from the same roots and united in brotherly love.
Mr. President, I thank you for the warmth of your hospitality, which
is greatly appreciated, and I wish to put on record that I came to
visit this country as a friend of the Israelis, just as I am a
friend of the Palestinian people. Friends enjoy spending time in one
another's company, and they find it deeply distressing to see one
another suffer. No friend of the Israelis and the Palestinians can
fail to be saddened by the continuing tension between your two
peoples. No friend can fail to weep at the suffering and loss of
life that both peoples have endured over the last six decades. Allow
me to make this appeal to all the people of these lands: No more
bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead
let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting
peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and
healing. Let it be universally recognized that the State of Israel
has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within
internationally agreed borders. Let it be likewise acknowledged that
the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent
homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely. Let the
two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream. And let
peace spread outwards from these lands, let them serve as a "light
to the nations" (Is 42:6), bringing hope to the many other regions
that are affected by conflict.
One of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was
the wall. As I passed alongside it, I prayed for a future in which
the peoples of the Holy Land can live together in peace and harmony
without the need for such instruments of security and separation,
but rather respecting and trusting one another, and renouncing all
forms of violence and aggression. Mr. President, I know how hard it
will be to achieve that goal. I know how difficult is your task, and
that of the Palestinian Authority. But I assure you that my prayers
and the prayers of Catholics across the world are with you as you
continue your efforts to build a just and lasting peace in this
region.
It remains only for me to express my heartfelt thanks to all who
have contributed in so many ways to my visit. To the Government, the
organizers, the volunteers, the media, to all who have provided
hospitality to me and those accompanying me, I am deeply grateful.
Please be assured that you are remembered with affection in my
prayers. To all of you, I say: thank you, and may God be with you.
Shalom!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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