Papal Holy Land Trip to Have Interreligious Focus

(March 5, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI will be taking many steps to promote interreligious dialogue during his May trip to the Holy Land, according to an unofficial itinerary. Jean-Marie Allafort from "Un Echo d'Israel," a Christian newsletter in Israel, spoke about the Pope's unofficial schedule for the May 11-15 trip, though he said that "neither the Vatican nor the State of Israel has published the official program," and some items are still being discussed. According to Allafort, the trip will include a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, and a welcome from both the Israeli and Palestinian Authority presidents. Israeli President Shimon Peres is set to welcome the Holy Father on May 11, and together they will visit the Yad Vashem, according to the report. Later that evening, the Pontiff will attend an interreligious meeting before proceeding to the Apostolic Nunciature. On his second day he will meet with the mufti of Jerusalem and then go to the Wailing Wall. Later that morning, he will visit the rabbinate of Israel. He will visit the cenacle, Gethsemane, Bethlehem and Nazareth.He will meet the Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem and the Armenian Orthodox patriarch in Jerusalem.