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Announcing his May 24-26 trip to the Holy Land, Pope Francis called the upcoming journey a “pilgrimage of prayer,” and he asked Catholics around the world for spiritual support.
He is certain to get it—and not just from Catholics.
There are few figures on the world stage right now that command as much respect, admiration and trust as the pope. He was Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” is credited with sparking a resurgence of churchgoing in long-secularized Europe and may be the most-quoted person by U.S. politicians on both ends of the spectrum.
That’s what makes his trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories so full of promise. Francis’ trip is meant to boost relations with Orthodox Christians by commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s historic 1964 visit to the region. At that time, Pope Paul’s meeting with the Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I led to substantial steps in repairing the nearly 1,000-year-old breach in Orthodox- and Latin-rite Christianity.
And while Pope Francis plans to continue that effort toward greater unity between the Eastern and Western churches, his message of peace and reconciliation will extend beyond the Christian communities to the area’s Jewish and Muslims communities and to emphasize the Vatican’s longstanding calls for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Francis, since becoming pope, has made frequent calls for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
And it’s a good sign that he had been invited to visit by both Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Besides visits to Biblical sites and religious services, the pope’s agenda includes a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a moderate Muslim leader, and with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, considered the first among equals by Orthodox bishops, and the three Catholic patriarchs of Jerusalem. Anglican and Protestant leaders are also expected to participate in events.
All of this is welcomed by Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem, who says a main goal of the visit is to “consolidate the good relations that bind the Muslims and Christians of these Arab countries since ancient times,” and to foster “respect for religious pluralism in an atmosphere of love and cooperation.”
Holy Land Christians are badly in need of the pope’s encouragement as their numbers continue to decrease due to violence and economic hardship.
The papal visit was announced Jan. 5 amid a renewed U.S. push to forge a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian territories, with Secretary of State John Kerry winding up his 10th visit to the region to promote that long-elusive goal.
It’s a goal that Pope Francis once again highlighted in his Christmas Day message, noting that God chose that part of the world for the birth of his son and praying for “a favorable outcome” to efforts toward Israeli-Palestinian peace. We join those prayers, and look forward to what we also pray will be a fruitful and joyous trip for all concerned.
