Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"I Came as a Pilgrim and I
Hope That Many Will Follow"
Words on Return Flight From the Holy Land
H.H. Benedict XVI
May 15, 2009
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your work. I imagine that it was difficult, with all
the problems, traveling, etc., and I would like to thank you for
having accepted all these difficulties to inform the world about
this pilgrimage, inviting others on the pilgrimage in this way.
I already gave a brief summary of this trip in the speech at the
airport; I do not want to add much. I could give many, many details:
the moving descent to the lowest place in the region in Jordan,
which for us is also a symbol of God’s descent, the descent of
Christ into the deepest points of human existence.
The Cenacle, where the Lord gave us the Eucharist, where the
Pentecost occurred, the descent of the Holy Spirit; the Holy
Sepulcher, so many other impressions, but I do not think that this
is the moment to [go into these details].
Perhaps there are three fundamental impressions: The first is that I
found everywhere, in all the environments -- Muslim, Christian,
Jewish -- a decisive will for interreligious dialogue, to meeting
and cooperation between the religions.
And it is important that everyone see this not only as an action --
let us say -- with political motivations in the given situation, but
as a fruit of the nucleus of faith itself, because believing in one
God who created all of us, Father of all of us, believing in this
God that created humanity as one family, believing that this God is
love and wants love to the be dominating force in the world, implies
this coming together, this necessity of meeting, of dialogue, of
cooperation as a requirement of the faith itself.
Second point: I also found a very encouraging ecumenical climate. We
had many very cordial meetings with the Orthodox world; I was also
able to speak with a representative of the Anglican Church and two
Lutheran representatives, and to see that precisely this climate of
the Holy Land also encourages ecumenism.
And the third point: There are very great difficulties -- we know
it, we saw and felt it. The difficulties are more visible and we
must not hide the difficulties: They exist, they must be cleared up.
But the common desire for peace, of fraternity, is not as visible,
and it seems to me that we must also speak about this, encourage
everyone in this desire to find the certainly not so easy solutions
to these difficulties.
I came as a pilgrim of peace. Pilgrimages are an essential element
in many religions, so much a part of Islam, of the Jewish religion
and of Christianity. It is also an image of our existence, which is
a journey forward, toward God and thus toward the communion of
humanity.
I came as a pilgrim and I hope that many will follow these paths and
in this way encourage the unity of the peoples of this Holy Land and
become messengers of peace. Thank you!
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