Thinking of two peoples” “” “

The death of Yasser Arafat in the hospital at Percy, in France, at 3.30 am on 11 November, has aroused reactions in many European episcopates and institutions, as also in the Holy See. Over ten meetings were held between John Paul II and the Palestinian leader between 1982 and 2001. THE POPE’S CONDOLENCES. On hearing the news of Arafat’s death, the Pope, through Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State, sent a telegram to the Chairman of the Palestinian Council, Rawi Fattuh. “In these hours of grief over the passing away of Chairman Arafat, the Pope is particularly close to the family of the deceased, and to the Palestinian authorities and people”, says the message. “While entrusting his soul to the hands of God omnipotent and merciful, the Holy Father – informs Sodano – prays to the Prince of Peace, that the star of harmony may shine forth once again on the Holy Land and that the two peoples that inhabit it may live in reconciliation with each other as two independent and sovereign States”. PRAYERS OF THE EUROPEAN BISHOPS. “On the death of Yasser Arafat, historic leader of the Palestinian people – says a communiqué signed by Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, President of the Bishops’ Conference of France – our thoughts go to the future of this people, its aspirations and its suffering. Nor do we forget the Israeli people, with its hopes and fears”. The prayer today of the Church of France goes to the future of these two peoples. “We pray to the Lord that in the heart of these two people, called to live in the same land, leaders may arise who have the political courage to lead their people to peace”. The message of the English bishops is entrusted to the archbishop of Liverpool and vice-president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Monsignor Patrick Kelly. “On hearing of the death of Chairman Arafat – says Kelly – my first instinct was to pray that at the end of a life so profoundly touched by war and suffering, Yasser Arafat may at last experience the peace, salaam, that only God can give”. In a letter sent to the Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei’, the chairman of the Commission for International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Peter Weiderud, expressed the condolences of the Christian Churches to the Palestinian people. “In solidarity with the Palestinian people the WCC will continue – he said – to work to ensure human rights and civil liberties and to achieve peace”. CONDOLENCES OF THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS. “It is with deep sadness that I have learned the news of the death of Chairman Arafat”. On behalf of the European Parliament, President Josep Borrell has written to Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, expressing condolences and solidarity with the Palestinian people. “Throughout a period of forty years, during his exile and after his return – says Borrell – the head of the PLO was identified with the struggle of his people for self-determination”. In recent times the Assembly has continued to insist on the implementation of the Road Map, which represents the sole means to achieve a solution to the conflict”. According to Borrell “with the Oslo process Arafat had courageously held out a hand to Israel to achieve peace, and it is for this that he will always remain in our memories. We hope that he may leave as his legacy a lasting peace that may permit Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side, in two States that are viable and finally secure”. EU–Holy Land: fact file The European Union closely follows developments of the situation in the Holy Land, and the institutions in Brussels (Parliament, Council and Commission) are engaged in maintaining political contacts with both sides in the conflict. The line adopted by the Twenty-Five aims at promoting an accord under the aegis of the United Nations and the creation of two States in which their peoples may live side by side, in mutual peace and respect. The European Parliament has also participated in the Geneva initiative last year, which promoted an accord for a rapid timetable of pacification. The European Commission, for its part, has been assigned the task of funding public works in the Palestinian territories, such as hospitals, ministerial offices, police stations, the port and airport of Gaza (some of these buildings have since been damaged during the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority). Doubts were raised in past years whether these funds were actually being used for civilian purposes and not to support terrorism. At least two inquires, one conducted by a parliamentary committee in Strasbourg and the other by OLAF (International anti-corruption organization) has rejected this allegation.