“Political” import

The white jeep stops, the Pope gets out, walks a few steps up to Israel’s separation wall. He touches it, leans his head against it in silence; the invitation is to president Abu Mazen, Palestinian, and Shimon Peres, Israeli, to prayer together for peace in his home in the Vatican. Two gestures that say more than so many words: two of the most significant snapshots of Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Amman, Bethlehem, Jerusalem), meant to mark the 50th anniversary of that historical embrace, in the holy city, between Paul VI and patriarch Atenagora. A journey with a great ecumenical bearing, as underlined by Pope Francis himself when he announced it, but which could not fail to have also inevitable political connotations. Courage of peace and creativity at the service of goodness. From the Land that gave birth to Jesus, “Prince of Peace”, the Pontiff chosen by the cardinals “from the other side of the world”, since his arrival to Germany on May 24 invoked “a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, along with a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. The Pope is mindful of the suffering caused by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, millions of refugees, the tragedy of victims, without distinction of religious faith, ethnic origin or ideological affiliation. The claim to leave the solutions to weapons must be replaced by the way of negotiations. “The solution – Bergoglio reiterated on several occasions – can only be found in dialogue and moderation, in compassion for those who suffer, in the quest for a political solution coupled by a sense of responsibility towards our brothers and sisters”. From Bethlehem came his cry: “The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good, the courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders”. For all. And he was the first to set the example, starting with gestures, such as his peaceful and silent prayer in front of the Israeli separation Wall or the brave decision to take a helicopter from Amman to Bethlehem without passing by the Israeli border, which means recognising to Palestine the dignity of an independent State, despite the Israeli occupation of which that wall is the most evident image. “May peace not remain a dream”. Bergoglio spoke of peace and courage also upon his arrival to Israel. Before president Peres and premier Netanyahu resounded his plea: “I implore those in positions of responsibility to leave no stone unturned in the search for equitable solutions to complex problems, so that Israelis and Palestinians may live in peace”. “The path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace must constantly be taken up anew, courageously and tirelessly. There is simply no other way”, the pope said. It was followed by the appeal that had already been uttered by Benedict XVI: “The right of the State of Israel to exist and to flourish in peace and security within internationally recognized borders must be universally recognized. At the same time, there must also be recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign homeland and their right to live with dignity and with freedom of movement,” he added. “The two-state solution must become reality and not remain merely a dream”, the Pope said. It is precisely to cherish this dream, to encourage and revitalize the peace process, to inspire and instil new courage to the parties involved in this process that Pope Francis invited Palestinian President Abu Mazen and Israeli President Shimon Peres for a joint prayer “in my home” in the Vatican. Prayer as a thrust for the promotion of peace, not an occasion for encounter to present a political agenda, not diplomatic proposals to offer but rather a purely spiritual mission to be accomplished. As it was for Syria, when he decided to proclaim September 7 2013 a day for fasting and prayer, to the Israeli and Palestinian populations and to the respective Authorities Bergoglio proposes prayer as a privileged road for a “happy exodus to peace”, a journey in which everyone is called to give something up. The final greeting addressed by president Peres to the Pope in the courtesy visit at the president palace, where together they planted an olive tree, bears special meaning: “You came in pilgrimage and you showed the way”. It’s the way of the happy exodus to peace.