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For Middle East, Region of Religious Conflict, Pope Suggests a Respite in Prayer For Middle East, Region of Religious Conflict, Pope Suggests a Respite in Prayer
(4 months later)
JERUSALEM — Pope Francis returned home from his three-day sojourn in the Holy Land with the typical bag of ceremonial gifts, including, from the children of Bethlehem’s refugee camps, a mock-up of an identification card in the name of Jesus that lists family members as Mohandas K. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Yasir Arafat and Martin Luther King Jr. But the pope also carried with him a promise from the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to come soon to the Vatican for a joint peace prayer, an unprecedented effort to lend a spiritual lift to a desperate political stalemate. JERUSALEM — Pope Francis returned home from his three-day sojourn in the Holy Land with the typical bag of ceremonial gifts, including, from the children of Bethlehem’s refugee camps, a mock-up of an identification card in the name of Jesus that lists family members as Mohandas K. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Yasir Arafat and Martin Luther King Jr. But the pope also carried with him a promise from the Israeli and Palestinian presidents to come soon to the Vatican for a joint peace prayer, an unprecedented effort to lend a spiritual lift to a desperate political stalemate.
The meeting is not going to produce a treaty, of course. But could it at least bring the sides back to the negotiating table?The meeting is not going to produce a treaty, of course. But could it at least bring the sides back to the negotiating table?
Betting on breakthroughs, or even positive developments, is always perilous here. But Pope Francis certainly exhibited a deft touch during his visit.Betting on breakthroughs, or even positive developments, is always perilous here. But Pope Francis certainly exhibited a deft touch during his visit.
He is not a charismatic leader. His face was practically hidden by papers as he read his speeches in an undertone. There were no throngs of the faithful clamoring to catch a glimpse of his motorcade on the streets. But he is a humane leader, and with gestures grand and intimate, he managed to navigate one of the world’s most complex political minefields and to escape the region without seeming to offend.He is not a charismatic leader. His face was practically hidden by papers as he read his speeches in an undertone. There were no throngs of the faithful clamoring to catch a glimpse of his motorcade on the streets. But he is a humane leader, and with gestures grand and intimate, he managed to navigate one of the world’s most complex political minefields and to escape the region without seeming to offend.
There was his unscheduled stop to pray at the concrete barrier in Bethlehem that Palestinians loathe as a symbol of the restrictions on their lives imposed by the Israeli occupation, and then his similar silent meditation at an Israeli wall memorializing victims of terrorism. He managed to honor both sides of the intractable conflict even as he shamed them a bit.There was his unscheduled stop to pray at the concrete barrier in Bethlehem that Palestinians loathe as a symbol of the restrictions on their lives imposed by the Israeli occupation, and then his similar silent meditation at an Israeli wall memorializing victims of terrorism. He managed to honor both sides of the intractable conflict even as he shamed them a bit.
There was also his instinctive walk down four steps to bless a woman in a wheelchair in Jordan rather than have her carried to where he stood on stage. And at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, he was equally nimble in bowing to kiss the hands of survivors, rather than the other way around.There was also his instinctive walk down four steps to bless a woman in a wheelchair in Jordan rather than have her carried to where he stood on stage. And at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, he was equally nimble in bowing to kiss the hands of survivors, rather than the other way around.
“The most authentic gestures are those that we don’t think about, those that come to us, aren’t they?” the pope told reporters as he flew back to Rome late Monday night.“The most authentic gestures are those that we don’t think about, those that come to us, aren’t they?” the pope told reporters as he flew back to Rome late Monday night.
Pope Francis himself is careful not to oversell the coming prayer meeting. “It will be an encounter to pray, not for the purposes of mediation,” he said on the plane. “Prayer is important. It helps.”Pope Francis himself is careful not to oversell the coming prayer meeting. “It will be an encounter to pray, not for the purposes of mediation,” he said on the plane. “Prayer is important. It helps.”
Plenty of skeptics have already dismissed the prayer summit meeting as a public relations stunt with no political import, particularly because Israel will be represented by President Shimon Peres, who is set to leave his largely ceremonial post in July, rather than by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who controls Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.Plenty of skeptics have already dismissed the prayer summit meeting as a public relations stunt with no political import, particularly because Israel will be represented by President Shimon Peres, who is set to leave his largely ceremonial post in July, rather than by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who controls Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.
But even people who do not depend on direct divine intervention said they saw much promise in the plan, given last month’s spectacular collapse of the latest in umpteen rounds of American-brokered peace talks.But even people who do not depend on direct divine intervention said they saw much promise in the plan, given last month’s spectacular collapse of the latest in umpteen rounds of American-brokered peace talks.
“I don’t believe in miracles,” said Ghassan Khatib, vice president of Birzeit University in the West Bank and a former spokesman for the Palestinian Authority government, “but it could have other values.”“I don’t believe in miracles,” said Ghassan Khatib, vice president of Birzeit University in the West Bank and a former spokesman for the Palestinian Authority government, “but it could have other values.”
Any image of Israeli and Palestinian leaders together could mitigate the deep distrust between their constituents. The stewardship of the popular, humble pope could refocus attention in Europe and among the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics on a conflict that has been overshadowed by the turmoil in the Arab world and in Ukraine.Any image of Israeli and Palestinian leaders together could mitigate the deep distrust between their constituents. The stewardship of the popular, humble pope could refocus attention in Europe and among the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics on a conflict that has been overshadowed by the turmoil in the Arab world and in Ukraine.
And after years in which extremists on both sides have exploited religion to block resolution, some Israeli and Palestinian analysts said a constructive dose of faith could at least provide inspiration.And after years in which extremists on both sides have exploited religion to block resolution, some Israeli and Palestinian analysts said a constructive dose of faith could at least provide inspiration.
“It’s proof of the failure of everything when we start resorting to prayer, but the gesture means more than just prayer,” said Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian writer and lawyer. “He is recognizing Palestine as an entity and equating it with Israel by bringing the two heads together, and that is not unimportant.”“It’s proof of the failure of everything when we start resorting to prayer, but the gesture means more than just prayer,” said Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian writer and lawyer. “He is recognizing Palestine as an entity and equating it with Israel by bringing the two heads together, and that is not unimportant.”
“The power of the papacy is there,” he continued. “It can’t determine things for us and for Israel, but it has weight and he seems to be using that weight in the right direction.”“The power of the papacy is there,” he continued. “It can’t determine things for us and for Israel, but it has weight and he seems to be using that weight in the right direction.”
Yossi Klein Halevi, an American-born Israeli author, said he thought for some time that “what we’re missing around the negotiating table are chaplains.”Yossi Klein Halevi, an American-born Israeli author, said he thought for some time that “what we’re missing around the negotiating table are chaplains.”
“I’d like to replace some of the diplomats with genuine religious leaders, people who understand that this conflict is primarily about intangibles and not a line on a map,” said Mr. Halevi, a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. “The problem is, how do you separate politics from prayer, how do you get prayer to influence politics rather than politics intruding on prayer.”“I’d like to replace some of the diplomats with genuine religious leaders, people who understand that this conflict is primarily about intangibles and not a line on a map,” said Mr. Halevi, a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. “The problem is, how do you separate politics from prayer, how do you get prayer to influence politics rather than politics intruding on prayer.”
The prayer meeting is expected to happen soon, but securing a date has been difficult, in part because of religion. Mr. Peres, though secular like President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, does not travel or hold public events on the Jewish Sabbath or on holidays. The festival of Shavuot runs from 8:20 p.m. next Tuesday to 9:30 p.m. Thursday in Rome, and the Sabbath starts less than 24 hours later.The prayer meeting is expected to happen soon, but securing a date has been difficult, in part because of religion. Mr. Peres, though secular like President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, does not travel or hold public events on the Jewish Sabbath or on holidays. The festival of Shavuot runs from 8:20 p.m. next Tuesday to 9:30 p.m. Thursday in Rome, and the Sabbath starts less than 24 hours later.
The pope said he planned to have a rabbi and an Islamic leader alongside him to facilitate the prayer meeting.The pope said he planned to have a rabbi and an Islamic leader alongside him to facilitate the prayer meeting.
Auxiliary Bishop William Hanna Shomali of Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarchate noted that the invitation came “at a deadlock in the peace process,” when “the political climate is tense.”Auxiliary Bishop William Hanna Shomali of Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarchate noted that the invitation came “at a deadlock in the peace process,” when “the political climate is tense.”
“In this empty space — no peace, no war — the pope comes with another voice because this pope believes in the dramatic effect of intense prayer,” Auxiliary Bishop Shomali said. “He believes that peace comes as a divine gift only, not as a fruit of politician’s work.”“In this empty space — no peace, no war — the pope comes with another voice because this pope believes in the dramatic effect of intense prayer,” Auxiliary Bishop Shomali said. “He believes that peace comes as a divine gift only, not as a fruit of politician’s work.”
He continued: “The problem is that, generally, we think to click on a mouse and have an immediate response, as when we click on a mouse and have an immediate answer from Google. The Lord is not Google. We have to click and wait.”He continued: “The problem is that, generally, we think to click on a mouse and have an immediate response, as when we click on a mouse and have an immediate answer from Google. The Lord is not Google. We have to click and wait.”
During a packed three-day schedule in Jordan, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 77-year-old pope, who long ago lost a lung to infection, often looked exhausted.During a packed three-day schedule in Jordan, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 77-year-old pope, who long ago lost a lung to infection, often looked exhausted.
He gave at least a dozen speeches, in Italian. He did not smile much, except when serenaded by children: In Bethlehem, refugees sang “We’re thirsty for peace” in Italian and Arabic, and at Mr. Peres’s residence, girls in white dresses crooned in Hebrew, “Let it be, let it be, all that we ask, let it be.”He gave at least a dozen speeches, in Italian. He did not smile much, except when serenaded by children: In Bethlehem, refugees sang “We’re thirsty for peace” in Italian and Arabic, and at Mr. Peres’s residence, girls in white dresses crooned in Hebrew, “Let it be, let it be, all that we ask, let it be.”
At almost every turn, the pope was photographed standing alone at spots rich with symbolism. (An Israeli journalist joked on Twitter that someone should whisper into the pope’s ear that he need not “pray at every wall in the Middle East.”)At almost every turn, the pope was photographed standing alone at spots rich with symbolism. (An Israeli journalist joked on Twitter that someone should whisper into the pope’s ear that he need not “pray at every wall in the Middle East.”)
Rabbi David Rosen, the Jerusalem-based international director for interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, said the pope’s “superstar status is more about us than about him.”Rabbi David Rosen, the Jerusalem-based international director for interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee, said the pope’s “superstar status is more about us than about him.”
“For us,” Rabbi Rosen explained, “the fact that he is such a no-nonsense, no-frills kind of person, a modest person with such integrity in such a high position, a simple and genuine mensch — that resonates with people so profoundly.”“For us,” Rabbi Rosen explained, “the fact that he is such a no-nonsense, no-frills kind of person, a modest person with such integrity in such a high position, a simple and genuine mensch — that resonates with people so profoundly.”