After the Regina Coeli, the Pope proceeded to the Franciscan "Casa Nova"   
   convent, a reception centre for pilgrims, built in 1908 and extended and   
   blessed in 1986, which is able to host up to 129 people. There, Francis dined   
   with several families of refugees and Palestinian homeless.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES: PEACE WILL BRING IMMEASURABLE BENEFITS TO THE   
   PEOPLE OF THIS REGION AND THE WORLD   
    Vatican City, 25 May 2014 (VIS) - At 7.30 this morning the Pope transferred   
   from the apostolic nunciature of Amman to Bethlehem by helicopter, where he   
   arrived at 9.20 a.m. local time (8.20 a.m. Rome time); he then undertook by   
   car the journey of two and a half kilometres from the heliport to the   
   presidential palace of Bethlehem, where he was received by the president of   
   the Palestinian State, Mahmoud Abbas.   
    Bethlehem is first referred to in the Bible in relation to the death of   
   Rachel and is identified with the Euphrates (the fruitful). In the sacred   
   books it is called "Bethlehem of Judea", the tribe to which it belonged. David   
   was born and consecrated a king by the prophet Samuel there, and with the   
   birth of Jesus, the smallest of Israel's cities gained worldwide importance   
   and grew due to the influx of pilgrims. In the year 135, the emperor Adrian   
   introduced the cult of Adonis but Christianity was restored in 330 by   
   Constantine. Following the Islamic conquest in 638, the Caliph Omar initiated   
   a policy of religious tolerance, but with the arrival of the crusading army in   
   1099, the Muslims devastated the city. In 1100 the crusader king of Jerusalem,   
   Baldwin I, was consecrated. The Arab reconquest in 1187 and the subsequent   
   Ottoman occupation marked the decline of the citadel which by 1600 had been   
   reduced to a small village. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the   
   city, the majority of whose inhabitants were Christians, began a revival. In   
   1831, the Pasha of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, conquered the city, and the Muslims,   
   allies of the Ottomans, were driven out and their quarters burned. Ten years   
   later, the city fell under Ottoman control once again. Under British rule from   
   1918, it became part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1946. In 1967,   
   following the so-called Six Days War, it was occupied by the Israeli army,   
   along with east Jerusalem and most of the West Bank. Since 1995 it has been   
   part of the Autonomous Palestinian Territories following the Oslo Accords (now   
   the State of Palestine). The then-president of the Palestinian Authority,   
   Yasser Arafat, ordered the construction of the presidential Palace which today   
   receives the Pope's visit.   
    The Holy Father, accompanied by President Abbas, was greeted by various   
   representatives of the Palestinian Christian communities from the West Bank   
   and the Gaza Strip, who delivered various messages, and then transferred to   
   the Great Hall where he was awaited by the Palestinian authorities and members   
   of the Diplomatic Corps, whom he addressed.   
    "For decades the Middle East has known the tragic consequences of a   
   protracted conflict which has inflicted many wounds so difficult to heal", he   
   began. "Even in the absence of violence, the climate of instability and a lack   
   of mutual understanding have produced insecurity, the violation of rights,   
   isolation and the flight of entire communities, conflicts, shortages and   
   sufferings of every sort. In expressing my closeness to those who suffer most   
   from this conflict, I wish to state my heartfelt conviction that the time has   
   come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly   
   unacceptable. For the good of all, there is a need to intensify efforts and   
   initiatives aimed at creating the conditions for a stable peace based on   
   justice, on the recognition of the rights of every individual, and on mutual   
   security. The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous   
   and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace   
   which rests on the acknowledgement by all of the right of two States to exist   
   and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders".   
    "To this end, I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from   
   initiatives and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true   
   agreement, and that peace will be pursued with tireless determination and   
   tenacity. Peace will bring countless benefits for the peoples of this region   
   and for the world as a whole. And so it must resolutely be pursued, even if   
   each side has to make certain sacrifices", he emphasised. "I pray that the   
   Palestinian and Israeli peoples and their respective leaders will undertake   
   this promising journey of peace with the same courage and steadfastness needed   
   for every journey. Peace in security and mutual trust will become the stable   
   frame of reference for confronting and resolving every other problem, and thus   
   provide an opportunity for a balanced development, one which can serve as a   
   model for other crisis areas".   
    He then referred with affection to the active Christian community, "which   
   contributes significantly to the common good of society, sharing in the joys   
   and sufferings of the whole people. Christians desire to continue in this role   
   as full citizens, along with their fellow citizens, whom they regard as their   
   brothers and sisters. Mr President, our recent meeting in the Vatican and my   
   presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations existing between the   
   Holy See and the State of Palestine. I trust that these relations can further   
   develop for the good of all. In this regard, I express my appreciation for the   
   efforts being made to draft an agreement between the parties regarding various   
   aspects of the life of the Catholic community in this country, with particular   
   attention to religious freedom. Respect for this fundamental human right is,   
   in fact, one of the essential conditions for peace, fraternity and harmony. It   
   tells the world that it is possible and necessary to build harmony and   
   understanding between different cultures and religions. It also testifies to   
   the fact that, since the important things we share are so many, it is possible   
   to find a means of serene, ordered and peaceful coexistence, accepting our   
   differences and rejoicing that, as children of the one God, we are all   
   brothers and sisters".   
    "Mr President, dear brothers gathered here in Bethlehem: may Almighty God   
   bless you, protect you and grant you the wisdom and strength needed to   
   continue courageously along the path to peace, so that swords will be turned   
   into ploughshares and this land will once more flourish more in prosperity and   
   concord. Salaam!"   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    IN JORDAN: POPE RENEWS APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR REFUGEES   
   FROM SYRIA AND IRAQ AND ASKS ARMS DEALERS TO CONVERT   
    Vatican City, 24 May 2014 (VIS) - After celebrating Holy Mass in the   
   International Stadium in Amman, Pope Francis made the fifty kilometre journey   
   to Bethany beyond the Jordan, which was the centre of the activity of St. John   
   the Baptist and the scene of Jesus' life. Bethany is still buried and its   
   precise location remains unknown, although it is perhaps found 200 metres to   
   the west of the Hill of the Prophet Elijah, where archaeological excavations   
   have not yet been carried out. The zone is called "Wadi Al-Kharrar"   
   ("melodious valley"), referring to the murmur of the waters of the Jordan, and   
   is located at 350 metres above the level of the Mediterranean, just a few   
   kilometres from the point at which the river widens and flows into the Dead   
   Sea, the "sea of salt" of the Old Testament and the "Sea of Lot" of Arab   
   manuscripts.   
    Upon arrival the Pope was welcomed by King Abdullah II, who awaited him in   
   the apse of the Latin Church of Bethany before the Jordan, and from there he   
   went on to visit the place of the Baptism, at the banks of the Jordan, where   
   he prayed in silence for some minutes and blessed the water. He then entered   
   the temple where a private sacristy had been prepared. The church is still in   
   construction and its first stone was blessed by Pope Benedict VI during his   
   visit to the site of the Baptism on 10 May 2009.   
    The Holy Father was awaited in the Church by 600 people, including refugees   
   and young disabled people, and the Pope mentioned his keenness to meet those   
   who have had to leave their homes and country "As a result of violence and   
   conflict. Here in Jordan you have found welcome and refuge. I have wanted also   
   to meet with you, dear young people who bear the burden of physical   
   disabilities".   
    "The place where we are meeting commemorates Jesus' baptism", he continued.   
   "Coming here to the Jordan to be baptised by John, Jesus showed his humility   
   and his participation in our human condition. He stooped down to us and by his   
   love he restored our dignity and brought us salvation. Jesus' humility never   
   fails to move us, the fact that he bends down to wounded humanity in order to   
   heal us. For our part, we are profoundly affected by the tragedies and   
   suffering of our times, particularly those caused by ongoing conflicts in the   
   Middle East. I think particularly of beloved Syria, rent by nearly three years   
   of civil strife which has led to countless deaths and forced millions to flee   
   and seek exile in other countries".   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)