May 12, 2009 / 08:34 am
Mass at the foot of the Mount of Olives began on Tuesday afternoon with Archbishop Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, welcoming Pope Benedict and urging greater attention be paid to the suffering of Christians in the Holy Land. In his homily, the Pope said that Jerusalem must fulfill its "universal vocation" and become a "city of peace."
The Holy Father began his homily by proclaiming, "Christ is risen, alleluia!" which was received by applause and the response, "Christ is truly risen!"
Saying that he comes as the Successor of Peter to confirm them in the faith, Benedict XVI said he wished to "acknowledge the difficulties, the frustration, and the pain and suffering which so many of you have endured as a result of the conflicts which have afflicted these lands, and the bitter experiences of displacement which so many of your families have known and – God forbid – may yet know."
"I hope my presence here is a sign that you are not forgotten, that your persevering presence and witness are indeed precious in God’s eyes and integral to the future of these lands," he added.