OfGian Guido Vecchi
Ten years ago the invocation for peace in the Holy Land with Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen. The Pope’s commemoration with the Israeli and Palestinian ambassadors: «The State of Palestine and the State of Israel live side by side»
“Every day I pray that this war will finally come to an end.” The Pope looks thoughtful. On 8 June 2014, he met in the Vatican Gardens with the then president of Israel Shimon Peres and the Palestinian president Abu Mazen. He had invited them to invoke the courage of dialogue, “there is no other way”, and to condemn any violence, terrorism or discrimination.
Ten years later the situation has worsened. And Francis, in the same place as then, commemorates that “invocation for peace in the Holy Land” urging us not to give up: “Today, remembering that event is important, ifespecially in light of what is unfortunately happening in Israel and Palestine. For months now we have been witnessing a growing trail of hostility and we have seen many innocent people dying before our eyes. All this suffering, the brutality of war, the violence it unleashes and the hatred it sows in future generations should convince us that every war leaves the world worse than it found it. War is a failure of politics and humanity, a shameful surrender, a defeat in the face of the forces of evil.”
The Israeli ambassadors Rapahel Schutz and the Palestinian ambassador Issa Kassissieh arrived in the Gardens, as well as Rabbi Alberto Funaro and Abdellah Redouane from the great mosque of Rome. In the end Francesco remains silent with them in front of the olive tree he planted with Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen, together they water it.
The position of the Holy See remains what the Pope repeated, once again: «We must all work and commit ourselves to achieve lasting peace, where the State of Palestine and the State of Israel can live side by side, breaking down the walls of enmity and hatred; we must all have Jerusalem at heart, so that it becomes the city of fraternal encounters between Christians, Jews and Muslims, protected by a special statute guaranteed at an international level.”
Francis criticizes the “dominant ideology” for which “conflict, violence and fractures are part of the normal functioning of a society”, the idea that “war can solve problems and lead to peace”. Rather, “in a time marked by tragic conflicts, there is a need for a renewed commitment to building a peaceful world”, he exclaims: «To everyone, believers and people of good will, I would like to say: let’s not stop dreaming of peace and building peaceful relationships!».
Bergoglio’s tone is sorrowful: «I think of all those who suffer, in Israel and Palestine: Christians, Jews and Muslims. I think about how urgent it is that the decision to stop the weapons finally rises from the rubble of Gaza and, therefore, I ask for a ceasefire. I think of the family members and the Israeli hostages and ask that they be freed as soon as possible. I think of the Palestinian population and ask that they be protected and receive all the necessary humanitarian aid. I think of the many people displaced by the fighting, and I ask that their homes be rebuilt soon so that they can return in peace.”
The pontiff quotes Isaiah: «I also think of those Palestinians and Israelis of good will who, amidst tears and suffering, they never stop waiting in hope for the arrival of a new day and they strive to anticipate the dawn of a peaceful world in which all peoples “will break their swords and make them into ploughshares, and make their spears into sickles; a nation will no longer raise the sword against another nation, they will no longer learn the art of war'”.
Thus, “this evening we want to renew our prayer, we still want to raise our plea for peace to God, like ten years ago”, concludes Francis: «Let us not stop dreaming of peace, which gives us the unexpected joy of feeling part of a single human family. I saw this joy a few days ago in Verona, on the faces of those two fathers, an Israeli and a Palestinian, who embraced each other in front of everyone. This is what Israel and Palestine need: an embrace of peace!
The prayer he recites at the end is the same as ten years ago: «Lord, God of peace, hear our plea. We have tried many times and for many years to resolve our conflicts with our own strength and even with our weapons. So many moments of hostility and darkness, so much blood shed, so many lives broken, so many hopes buried. But our efforts were in vain. Now, Lord, help us.”
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June 7, 2024
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