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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"You
Stand Before a Small Flock that Is Shrinking"
Latin Patriarch's Welcome Address to Benedict XVI
Archbishop Fouad Twal
May 12, 2009
Given at the beginning of Mass in the Valley of Josaphat, in
front of the basilica of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives.
Holy Father,
The Church of Jerusalem fervently welcomes you to this city where
Jesus Christ was welcomed by the crowd shouting "Hosanna in the
Highest, Hosanna to the one who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mt.
21:9). Welcome to the city, where He obtained the victory over sin
and death, and salvation for those who have faith in him. Here, with
you, the Church takes loving care of and comes to pray at those
places, where Our Lord carried out his awesome tasks of redemption.
These sites are witnesses of the past and the truth of our present
lives.
Just a few yards from here, Jesus said to his most favored disciples
"Remain here, and watch with me" (Mt. 26:39). But these same
disciples closed their eyes, not losing sleep over Jesus' agony,
only a short distance away in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Holy Father, today, in many ways, the situation has not changed:
around us, we have the agony of the Palestinian people, who dream of
living in a free and independent Palestinian State, but have not
found its realization; and the agony of the Israeli people, who
dream of a normal life in peace and security and, despite all their
military and mass media might, have not found its realization.
And the international community, just like Jesus' beloved disciples,
stands apart, eyes drooping with indifference, unconcerned with the
agony of the Holy Land, which has gone on for sixty-one years, and
does not seriously rouse itself, to find a just solution. In this
Valley of Jehoshaphat, a valley of tears, we raise our prayer for
the realization of the dreams of these two peoples. We raise our
prayer for Jerusalem, to be shared by the two peoples and three
religions.
On this very Mount of Olives, Jesus wept in vain over Jerusalem, and
continues to do so, with the disillusioned refugees, without any
hope of return, with the widows of the victims of violence and the
many families in this city, who every day see their homes demolished
because, it is said, "they were built illegally," when the whole
situation is illegal and still looking for a solution
Above where we stand now, Our Lord cried out: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How
often would I have gathered your children -- all your children,
Jews, Christians and Muslim -- and you would not!" (Lk 13:34)
Dear Holy Father, we ask you to see and understand the lives of your
poor children here, and to strengthen our faith and hope. Your visit
brings the awareness and solidarity of the entire Church, and the
attention of the world to this region, these peoples, their story,
their struggles and hopes, their smiles and tears.
For one who suffers -- someone infirm, a refugee, a prisoner or one
bearing the weight of injustice -- the greatest distress, is to
think that he has been forgotten and that no one sees, knows or is
moved by what he undergoes. Your visit today does much to comfort
hearts and to say to all, that the God of compassion and those who
believe in Him are not blind, have not forgotten and are not
unmoved.
Your Holiness, you are the successor to St. Peter, charged by the
Lord to "strengthen [his] brethren" in their faith. (Lk 22:32) This
we entreat you then, and we cry out with the Apostles in the Gospel,
"Increase our faith!" (Lk 17:25)
Holy Father, you stand before a small flock that is shrinking, that
suffers from emigration, largely due to the effects of the unjust
occupation and all its humiliation, violence and hatred. Yet we know
that the faith is the victory that overcomes the world, (1 Jn 5:4)
and that through it, we are able to see and recognize Jesus Christ
in every person. With Jesus and in Jesus, we can enjoy here and now
the peace that the world can neither give nor take out of our
hearts. This peace means serenity, faith, a welcoming spirit and the
joy of living and working in this Land.
Therefore we take advantage of your blessed presence among us to cry
out with the suffering father in the Gospel who begged Jesus to free
his son from long lasting torments "I do believe, help my unbelief."
Holy Father, as we welcome you as the successor to St. Peter, help
our unbelief. Pray with us now to our Heavenly Father for all the
inhabitants of the Holy Land; and to the Mother of Sorrows, who did
not shirk from standing beneath the cross of her suffering son, that
she help us have her same faith in God's loving providence,
accepting all even before we understand.
Oh Lord, Strengthen our faith!
+ Fouad Twal, Patriarch
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