VATICAN CITY — As war continues to threaten the land of Jesus'
birth and to undermine the existence of Christian communities there, the
international community must learn from the errors of the past and do more to
bring lasting peace to the Middle East, Pope Francis said.
"Do not forget the previous century; do not forget the
lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; do not let the land of the East, where the
Word of peace arose, be transformed into a dark expanse of silence," the
pope said after a private meeting with the heads of Christian churches and
communities in the Middle East.
Pope Francis traveled July 7 to the southern Italian Adriatic
port city of Bari to host a day of reflection and ecumenical prayer for peace
in the Middle East.
Arriving by helicopter in the early morning, the pope stood in
front of the Basilica of St. Nicholas and greeted the patriarchs and other
representatives of Christian churches.
Among them was Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of
Constantinople, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Greek
Orthodox Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and all Africa.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of external relations
for the Russian Orthodox Church, represented Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill
of Moscow.
Flanked by the church leaders, the pope entered the basilica and
walked down to the crypt, where he bowed deeply before the relics of St.
Nicholas, who is venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox.
After remaining several minutes in prayer and lighting a candle
on the altar, the pope and church leaders boarded a bus that took them to the
seaside site of the ecumenical prayer service.
Thousands of men, women and children cheered and waved as the
group made its way to the stage overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Behind the pope's
chair was a large statue of Christ crucified with the words "May peace be
upon you" etched above it.
The pope began the service by welcoming the patriarchs and
Christian leaders and thanking them for joining him in prayer for the Middle
East, which he described as a source of "ever fresh streams of
spirituality and monasticism."
However, he added, the light of the region has been dimmed by the
"dark clouds of war, violence and destruction," which threaten to
cast out Christians "amid the complicit silence of many."
"There is also the danger that the presence of our brothers
and sisters in the faith will disappear, disfiguring the very face of the
region. For a Middle East without Christians would not be the Middle
East," the pope said.
While asking "the Lord of heaven for that peace which the
powerful of our world have not yet been able to find," the pope also
prayed for peace in Jerusalem, "the holy city beloved of God and wounded
by men for which the Lord continues to weep."
After the prayer service, the pope and the Christian leaders
returned to the basilica for a private meeting that lasted over two hours.
In a speech delivered to the faithful outside the basilica, the
pope said members of the group were encouraged by their dialogue, which
"was a sign that encounter and unity are always found without fear of
differences."
Peace, he said, can only be cultivated and nurtured through
listening and engaging in dialogue and not by "truces guaranteed by walls
and tests of strength."
Pope Francis denounced arms dealers who have taken advantage of
the conflicts by selling weaponry and called for an end to the "personal
profit of a few on the skin of many."
"Enough with the occupation of lands that tear people apart.
Enough with the prevalence of half-truths over people's hopes. Enough with
using the Middle East for profits that are foreign to the Middle East," he
said.
Before ending the meeting with the release of two white doves,
Pope Francis once again called for peace in Jerusalem whose "status quo
demands to be respected."
The Vatican supports a "two-state solution" for the
Holy Land with independence, recognition and secure borders for both Israel and
Palestine.
Despite warnings from Middle Eastern and European leaders,
President Donald Trump went ahead with his decision to recognize Jerusalem as
the capital of Israel, overturning the United States' long-standing policy and
further complicating peace negotiations.
"Only a negotiated solution between Israelis and
Palestinians, firmly wanted and desired by the community of nations, can bring
a stable and lasting peace and guarantee the co-existence of two states for two
peoples," Pope Francis said.