Pope Visits Mt Nebo

(09 May 09 - RV) Pope Benedict visited the Moses Memorial Basilica on Mount Nebo, the site from which tradition holds that God showed the great prophet the promised land.

In his remarks to the Franciscans who care for the holy site and the representatives of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, Pope Benedict said the example of Moses reminds us that we too are part of the ageless pilgrimage of God’s people through history.

The Holy Father went on to say the God who revealed his name to Moses as a pledge that he would always be at our side (cf. Ex 3:14) will give us the strength to persevere in joyful hope even amid suffering, trial and tribulation.

The ancient tradition of pilgrimage to the holy places also reminds us of the inseparable bond between the Church and the Jewish people. From the beginning, the Church in these lands has commemorated in her liturgy the great figures of the Patriarchs and Prophets, as a sign of her profound appreciation of the unity of the two Testaments. May our encounter today inspire in us a renewed love for the canon of Sacred Scripture and a desire to overcome all obstacles to the reconciliation of Christians and Jews in mutual respect and cooperation in the service of that peace to which the word of God calls us!


The Pope said, “Like Moses, we too have been called by name, invited to undertake a daily exodus from sin and slavery towards life and freedom, and given an unshakeable promise to guide our journey.”

The Holy Father then spoke of how the waters of Baptism lead us from the slavery of sin to new life and hope, saying that in the communion of the Church we look forward to the vision of the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, where God will be all in all.

Pope Benedict From this holy mountain Moses directs our gaze on high, to the fulfilment of all God’s promises in Christ.