Text of Pope Benedict XVI's Arrival Speech in Israel
Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank
you for your warm welcome to the State of Israel, a land which is held holy by millions
of believers around the world. I am grateful to the President, Mr Shimon Peres, for
his kind words, and I appreciate the opportunity that has been offered to me to come
on pilgrimage to a land that is hallowed by the footsteps of patriarchs and prophets,
a land that Christians hold in particular veneration as the setting for the events
of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I take my place in a long line
of Christian pilgrims to these shores, a line that stretches back to the earliest
centuries of the Church’s history and which, I am sure, will continue long into the
future. I come, like so many others before me, to pray at the holy places, to pray
especially for peace – peace here in the Holy Land, and peace throughout the world.
Mr President, the Holy See and the State of Israel have many shared values, above
all a commitment to give religion its rightful place in the life of society. The
just ordering of social relationships presupposes and requires a respect for the freedom
and dignity of every human being, whom Christians, Muslims and Jews alike believe
to be created by a loving God and destined for eternal life. When the religious dimension
of the human person is denied or marginalized, the very foundation for a proper understanding
of inalienable human rights is placed in jeopardy. Tragically, the Jewish people
have experienced the terrible consequences of ideologies that deny the fundamental
dignity of every human person. It is right and fitting that, during my stay in Israel,
I will have the opportunity to honor the memory of the six million Jewish victims
of the Shoah, and to pray that humanity will never again witness a crime of such magnitude.
Sadly, anti-Semitism continues to rear its ugly head in many parts of the world.
This is totally unacceptable. Every effort must be made to combat anti-Semitism wherever
it is found, and to promote respect and esteem for the members of every people, tribe,
language and nation across the globe. During my stay in Jerusalem, I will have
the pleasure of meeting many of this country’s distinguished religious leaders. One
thing that the three great monotheistic religions have in common is a special veneration
for that holy city. It is my earnest hope that all pilgrims to the holy places will
be able to access them freely and without restraint, to take part in religious ceremonies
and to promote the worthy upkeep of places of worship on sacred sites. May the words
of Isaiah’s prophecy be fulfilled, that many nations shall flow to the mountain of
the house of the Lord, that he may teach them his ways, that they may walk in his
paths – paths of peace and justice, paths that lead to reconciliation and harmony
(cf. Is 2:2-5). Even though the name Jerusalem means “city of peace”, it is all
too evident that, for decades, peace has tragically eluded the inhabitants of this
holy land. The eyes of the world are upon the peoples of this region as they struggle
to achieve a just and lasting solution to conflicts that have caused so much suffering.
The hopes of countless men, women and children for a more secure and stable future
depend on the outcome of negotiations for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In union with people of good will everywhere, I plead with all those responsible to
explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding
difficulties, so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within
secure and internationally recognized borders. In this regard, I hope and pray that
a climate of greater trust can soon be created that will enable the parties to make
real progress along the road to peace and stability. To the Catholic bishops and
faithful here present, I offer a special word of greeting. In this land, where Peter
received his commission to feed the Lord’s sheep, I come as Peter’s successor to minister
among you. It will be my special joy to join you for the concluding celebrations
of the Year of the Family, due to take place in Nazareth, home of the Holy Family
of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As I said in my Message for the World Day of Peace last
year, the family is the “first and indispensable teacher of peace” (No. 3), and hence
it has a vital role to play in healing divisions in human society at every level.
To the Christian communities in the Holy Land, I say: by your faithful witness to
him who preached forgiveness and reconciliation, by your commitment to uphold the
sacredness of every human life, you can make a particular contribution to ending the
hostilities that for so long have afflicted this land. I pray that your continuing
presence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories will bear much fruit in promoting
peace and mutual respect among all the peoples who live in the lands of the Bible. Mr
President, ladies and gentlemen, once again I thank you for your welcome and I assure
you of my sentiments of good will. May God give his people strength! May God bless
his people with peace!