Vatican City, May 11, 2009 / 14:06 pm
On Friday, during Pope Benedict’s flight from Rome to Amman, Jordan, he briefly answered questions from journalists accompanying him on his journey on the topics of peace in the Holy Land, inter-religious dialogue and the decline of Christians in the region.
The first question the Holy Father was asked had to do with bringing peace to the Middle East. The journalist asked: “There are strong tensions - during the Gaza crisis it was speculated that you would not make this visit. At the same time, a few days after your trip, the political leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will meet with U.S. President Obama. Do you think that you can contribute to the peace process that currently seems to be running aground?"
The Pope answered that he intends to contribute to peace, “not as an individual, but in the name of the Catholic Church, of the Holy See. We are not a political power, but rather a spiritual force, and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to the progress of the peace process.”
He noted that the contribution will be made on three levels. First, we must realize that prayer makes a true difference. “It opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and that He can act in history. I think that if millions of people - of believers - pray, this really is an influential power that can contribute to the advancement of peace.”