Paying a few visits

Shortly after noon local time today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis arrived at the Presidential Palace for a courtesy visit with the President of the State of Israel, His Excellency, Shimon Peres, who welcomed him in the gardens at the entrance to the Palace.

In the Presidential Palace, the visit began with the presentation of the respective delegations, including, as part of the Holy See's delegation - Cardinal Parolin, Cardinal Sandri, Cardinal Tauran, Cardinal Koch, Patriarch Twal, Archbishop Becciu, Archbishop Lazzarotto and Father Pizzaballa.

During the exchange which preceded the private meeting, the Pope addressed the following words to the President:

I thank you, Mister President, for your words and for your welcome.  In my imagination and fantasy, I would like to invent a new beatitude, which I apply to myself in this moment: Blessed are those who enter into the house of a wise and good man.  And I feel that I am truly blessed.  Thank you, with all my heart.

Following the exchange of gifts and the private meeting, the Pope and the President went into the garden where they planted an olive tree.  There, in the presence of a few hundred children of various conditions and from differing religious backgrounds, the official speeches were delivered, first by the President and then by the Pope.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the courtesy visit with the President of the State of Israel

Mr President,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to you, Mister President, for your kind and wise words of greeting and your warm welcome. I am happy to be able to meet you once again, this time in Jerusalem, the city which preserves the Holy Places dear to the three great religions which worship the God who called Abraham. The Holy Places are not monuments or museums for tourists, but places where communities of believers daily express their faith and culture, and carry out their works of charity. Precisely for this reason, their sacred character must be perpetually maintained and protection given not only to the legacy of the past but also to all those who visit these sites today and to those who will visit them in the future. May Jerusalem be truly the City of Peace! May her identity and her sacred character, her universal religious and cultural significance shine forth as a treasure for all mankind! How good it is when pilgrims and residents enjoy free access to the Holy Places and can freely take part in religious celebrations.

Mister President, you are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker. I appreciate and admire the approach you have taken. Peacemaking demands first and foremost respect for the dignity and freedom of every human person, which Jews, Christians and Muslims alike believe to be created by God and destined to eternal life. This shared conviction enables us resolutely to pursue peaceful solutions to every controversy and conflict. Here I renew my plea that all parties avoid initiatives and actions which contradict their stated determination to reach a true agreement and that they tirelessly work for peace, with decisiveness and tenacity.

There is likewise need for a firm rejection of all that is opposed to the cultivation of peace and respectful relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims. We think, for example, of recourse to violence and terrorism, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race or religion, attempts to impose one’s own point of view at the expense of the rights of others, anti-Semitism in all its possible expressions, and signs of intolerance directed against individuals or places of worship, be they Jewish, Christian or Muslim.

A variety of Christian communities live and work in the State of Israel. They are an integral part of society and participate fully in its civic, political and cultural affairs. Christians wish, as such, to contribute to the common good and the growth of peace; they wish to do so as full-fledged citizens who reject extremism in all its forms and are committed to fostering reconciliation and harmony.

The presence of these communities and respect for their rights – as for the rights of all other religious groups and all minorities – are the guarantee of a healthy pluralism and proof of the vitality of democratic values as they are authentically embodied in the daily life and workings of the State.

Mister President, you know that I pray for you and I know that you are praying for me, and I assure you of my continued prayers for the institutions and the citizens of the State of Israel. I likewise assure you of my constant prayer for the attainment of peace and all the inestimable goods which accompany it: security, tranquility, prosperity and - the most beautiful of all - fraternity. Finally, my thoughts turn to all those afflicted by the continuing crises in the Middle East. I pray that their sufferings may soon be alleviated by an honorable resolution of hostilities. Peace be upon Israel and the entire Middle East! Shalom!

At the conclusion of his visit with the President of the State of Israel, at 1:30pm today local time, the Pope traveled by car to the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center where he received in private audience, the Prime Minister of Israel, His Excellency, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was welcomed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, His Eminence, Pietro Parolin and the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency, Giuseppe Lazzarotto.  The Pope and the Prime Minister subsequently sat in private conversation.

When their encounter was completed, and after the Prime Minister had left, the Holy Father had lunch at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center with the members of the Papal entourage.