Pope urges for peace in Holy Land, Iraq, reflects on resurrection of Lazarus

(March 10, 2008) Pope Benedict on Sunday reiterated his call for an end to violence in the Holy land and Iraq and urged Israeli and Palestinian political authorities to move forward on the path of dialogue to bring about peace in the region. Speaking to thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray the midday ‘Angelus’ Marian prayer with him, the Pope said the violence in the Holy Land and Iraq is "certainly contrary to the will of God". After reciting the weekly ‘Angelus,’ the Pope observed that "violence and horror have again bloodied the Holy Land, fostering a spiral of destruction and death that seems to have no end. Without making any explicit reference to last Thursday's attack in Jerusalem in which a local gunman killed eight teenaged students at a Jewish theological school, the Pope urged Israeli and Palestinian authorities to continue with negotiations to build a peaceful and just future for their peoples. In the name of God, the Holy Father, urged both sides to abandon hatred and vengeance and to take on the paths of dialogue and trust responsibly.
For the third time, in fact, the pope remembered Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul who was kidnapped on Feb. 29, and whose present condition and whereabouts are still unknown. The archbishop’s driver and two guards were killed when gunmen opened fire on his car. The Pope expressed concern for Archbishop Rahho and all Iraqis who continue to suffer from a blind and absurd form of violence, certainly contrary to the will of God.
Before the midday Angelus, the Pope visited and celebrated Mass at the international youth centre of San Lorenzo, close by St. Peter’s Square, on the occasion of the centre’s 25th anniversary. To the young people present there and later at the ‘Angelus’ in Saint Peter's Square, the Pope reflected on the Gospel episode of the resurrection of Lazarus. Reminding them that this was "last great 'sign' worked by Jesus”, the Pope said that "Lazarus was the living proof of Christ’s divinity and that Christ is the Lord of life and death.” The Pope said, "The death of the body is a sleep, from which God can awaken one any moment." The Holy Father urged the faithful to respond to Jesus just as the sister of Lazarus, Martha, did, “Yes, O Lord! We too believe, despite our doubts and our darkness; we believe in you, because you have the words of eternal life; we want to believe in you, who gives us a trustworthy hope of life beyond life, of authentic and full life in your kingdom of light and peace."