HOLY LAND/ROME, org. “In critical moments we need wise people who love us. God himself counsels us in the depths of our hearts, in intimacy with him and through the voice of the testimony of our brothers,” Pope Francis said recently during a Mass at Santa Marta. He knows what friends and friendship mean. The strong embrace of the three religious leaders – a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim – in front of the Wall of Lamentations in Jerusalem was the crowning moment of the last part of Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land. It was an embrace of friends, the fulfilment of a dream and a signpost for peace, and not only in the Middle East.
When the Holy Father finished praying at the holiest place for the Jewish people, Rabbi Abraham Skorka and the Argentinean Muslim leader Omar Abboud were moved when they met. The three men joined in an embrace and a comment: “We did it!” The old dream fed by the friendship of the three men from Buenos Aires became reality in front of the whole world, offering the best formula to overcome the nightmare of religious confrontations: respect and affection between people of good will.
“Together with Pope Francis, we dreamed of meeting at the Wall of Lamentations, in an embrace as a sign to the 2000 years of disagreements between Jews and Christians, and that I would accompany him to Bethlehem to be close to him at such an important moment for his spirit, as a gesture of friendship and respect,” commented Abraham Skorka in interview with Fr. Antonio Spadara, the director of La Civiltà Cattolica.
He calls us all “my brothers”
The previous night at the Holy Sepulchre the “embrace of separated Christians” took place.
It is an extraordinary grace to be gathered here in prayer. The empty tomb…is the place from which the proclamation of the resurrection begins: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead’” (Mt 28:5-7)…everyone baptized in Christ, has spiritually risen from this tomb…Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the basis of our hope, which is this: Christòs anesti [Christ is Risen]! Let us not deprive the world of the joyful message of the resurrection! And let us not be deaf to the powerful summons to unity which rings out from this very place, in the words of the One who, risen from the dead, calls all of us “my brothers”
Pope Francis said that the differences should not frighten us. He also spoke about the “ecumenism of blood”: “When Christians of different confessions suffer together, side by side.” He explained that “those who kill, persecute Christians out of hatred, do not ask if they are Orthodox or Catholics: they are Christians. The blood of Christians is the same.”
The custodian of the Holy Land, the Fransiccan Pizzaballa, who is very cognizant of the situation and conflicts in the region told Radio Vatican: “It was as if I was dreaming” when he was asked how he felt when he saw so many different people gathered in prayer in front of the empty tomb.
Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done
It still echoes and should always echo: what can be said before the inexpressible horror of what human beings have been able to do to other human beings?
A German journalist, Torsten Teichmann was visibly moved and commented on the moments at Holocaust monument: “This was not a show of consternation out of duty. This man is genuine in his shame and pain. I am not ashamed by my tears…”
That cry – “Where are you?” – echoes like a faint voice in an unfathomable abyss…
Adam, who are you? I no longer recognize you.
Who are you, o man? What have you become?
Of what horror have you been capable?
What made you fall to such depths?
Who corrupted you? Who disfigured you?
Who led you to presume that you are the master of good and evil?
Who convinced you that you were god? Not only did you torture and kill your brothers and sisters, but you sacrificed them to yourself, because you made yourself a god.
From the ground there rises up a soft cry: “Have mercy on us, O Lord!” To you, O Lord our God, belongs righteousness; but to us confusion of face and shame (cf. Bar 1:15).
Lord, hear our prayer, hear our plea, save us in your mercy.
Save us from this horror.
Almighty Lord, a soul in anguish cries out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy!
We have sinned against you. You reign for ever (cf. Bar 3:1-2).
Remember us in your mercy. Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done, to be ashamed of this massive idolatry, of having despised and destroyed our own flesh which you formed from the earth, to which you gave life with your own breath of life.
Never again, Lord, never again!
Something like the Holocaust is singular in the history of humanity. Incomparable.
Without a doubt, even today there are human beings who destroy life, life dreams, life projects of others out of pure jealousy, with a desire for power…states, companies, families, in the Church, in Schoenstatt.
“Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done…”
Not even landmines can prevail against Pope Francis’ irresistible charism
“The Pope is coming to a minefield.” These are the words of Fr. Neuhaus, the number two of the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem. “But not even the landmines can prevail against Pope Francis’ irresistible charism. In his three days in the Holy Land, he deactivated the mines of multi-secular violence and mistrust, sowing the roses of dialogue, reconciliation, unity, peace and hope. From within and without,” commented Spanish journalist José Manuel Vidal.
It all ended with a Mass in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. In the same place where, more than two thousand years ago, Jesus bid farewell to his disciples, where he broke the bread, blessed the wine and shared it with them and asked them to do this in memory of him. This is where Francis said Mass. “A return to the origins by a Pope who, better than anyone else, represents the first Christians in his authenticity and his commitment. This is where the Church was born,” reads a commentary by Spanish journalist Jesús Bastante
“Lastly, the Upper Room reminds us of the birth of the new family, the Church, our holy Mother the hierarchical Church established by the risen Jesus,” said Pope Francis. “A family that has a Mother, the Virgin Mary. Christian families belong to this great family, and in it they find the light and strength to press on and be renewed, amid the challenges and difficulties of life. All God’s children, of every people and language, are invited and called to be part of this great family, as brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the one Father in heaven.
These horizons are opened up by the Upper Room, the horizons of the Risen Lord and his Church.
From here the Church goes forth, impelled by the life-giving breath of the Spirit. Gathered in prayer with the Mother of Jesus, the Church lives in constant expectation of a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Send forth your Spirit, Lord, and renew the face of the earth (cf. Ps 104:30)!
A bouquet of flowers
Now he has returned. He thanked everybody for their prayers for this pilgrimage during Wednesday’s general audience. And in the first hours of Tuesday, Pope Francis went to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome to give thanks to the Blessed Mother for his trip to the Holy Land. Only the Holy Father and his chauffeur were there, and remained for about 30 minutes before returning to the Vatican. He offered a bouquet of flowers to the Blessed Mother and remained in prayer for a few minutes and then greeted all those who were there. With a bunch of flowers for Mary in the month of May, this is how he started and ended his pilgrimage.
See also:
All conferences, videos, photo gallery:
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2014/outside/documents/papa-francesco-terra-santa-2014.html
