May 13, 2009 / 06:07 am
Palestinians hoped that if the Pope came to the Holy Land he would visit them, and today they got their wish as Benedict XVI went to Bethlehem. After being received by President Mahmoud Abbas, the Pope stressed the Holy See's support for a Palestinian state and urged the youth to spurn violence, turning their energies to work for peace.
The Pope began by telling the Palestinians, “I know how much you have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the turmoil that has afflicted this land for decades.”
“My heart goes out to all the families who have been left homeless,” he added, noting that later on Wednesday afternoon he will visit the Aida Refugee Camp to express his solidarity with “the people who have lost so much.”
Saying that he prays daily for a peaceful and just solution in the Holy Land, the Pontiff reiterated the Holy See's backing for “the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders.”
Keep the flame of hope alive, he encouraged, while also reminding his audience of the words of Pope John Paul II, there can be "no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness.”