Pope announces plans to visit Israel, West Bank and Jordan in May

[bemildred]

Speaking in a rain-soaked St Peter’s Square yesterday, Pope Francis announced long-awaited plans to the visit the Holy Land in May of this year. Outlining limited details of his trip, the pope said that “God willing”, he would make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from May 24th-26th, visiting Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

It was suspected by Vatican watchers that Francis would visit the Holy Land this year as he has made no secret of his desire to commemorate the January 5th, 1964, meeting between pope Paul VI and Orthodox Christian patriarch Athenagoras. Accordingly, the pope announced his trip yesterday, the day that marks the 50th anniversary of that historic meeting.

Ecumenical service

In the same spirit, one of the key moments of the trip will be an ecumenical service at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where Francis will be joined by the current patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholemew, as well as by representatives from other Christian churches in Jerusalem. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified and buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Israeli relations

Francis will be the fourth pope to visit Israel, following visits by John Paul II in 2000 and by Benedict in 2009. Vatican-Israeli relations were strained for much of the postwar era, partly because of the Holy See’s reluctance to officially recognise the newly founded Jewish state. It was only in 1993 that John Paul II finally opened diplomatic relations with Israel, an initiative that was followed seven years later by a memorable visit which included stops at the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, and at the Western Wall, where he famously consigned a hand- written plea asking forgiveness for Christian persecution.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/pope-announces-plans-to-visit-israel-west-bank-and-jordan-in-may-1.1644943

[Jefferson23]

1. Gaza, he should go there too. n/t

[bemildred]

2. I'll take it up with him. nt

[Jefferson23]

3. I hope he listens to you. n/t

[bemildred]

4. Oh all right, I'll be serious.

I'm not sure I want him to do that, I don't want anything to happen to him. There are crazy people. I'm not that sanguine about him coming at all, though I see that it's going to happen. This is a willful Pope if I ever saw one, he does not intend to just sit around and see what happens.

[Jefferson23]

5. I understand your concerns. It is the people of Gaza, who do feel he could help them...thus my

hope he goes there. I don't hear any allies of late speaking out about Gaza, as you know, it
is a disaster area..literally. I am not certain security is why he would not consider it, but I could be
wrong.

URGENT APPEAL: Ref: UA 22 / 13.



Gazan families are suffering. Israel and Egypt have cut off fuel supplies so that Gazans have had no electricity and vital services for 2 months. Families, in freezing temperatures have no light, no heat and hospitals are overflowing while sewerage is flooding the streets and people have to be ferried by boats and canoes.

http://www.palestinematters.com/Appeal-to-Pope-Francis-to-help-Gaza_Appeal_1117.aspx

[oberliner]

6. That's a group of Australians in Sydney, not "the people of Gaza"

Of course I'm sure this group of Australians in Sydney know what the people of Gaza really want.

Edit to add: Upon further review it may actually only be one Australian in Sydney, not a group.

[Jefferson23]

7. Because the people of Gaza don't want him there? Because they have access and

the means to send messages?

[oberliner]

8. That website you linked to is run by a very disturbed individual

Dr Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters.

Here's some "greatest hits":

With regard to Israel's occupation of Palestine, decent people scratch their heads and ask, “Why do the Israelis behave like Nazis to the Palestinians?'

Victim indoctrination combined with crazy-making racism, exploitation of the holocaust, Biblical myths, Jewish superiority and militarism is integral to the education system.

Let us view the similarities of the Nazi victimizing, traumatizing and slaughtering of Anne Frank to the victimizing, traumatizing, mutilating and slaughtering of the teenagers and children of Gaza.

[Jefferson23]

9. Link you got that from, oberliner? How does that change what I asked you?