Pope Benedict meets with Shimon Peres, calls for end to ‘60 years of destruction and mourning in the Holy Land.’
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Pope Benedict during his meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres

Vatican City, Sep 6, 2007 / 09:55 am (CNA).- This morning, in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received the president of Israel, Shimon Peres in an audience. The Pope encouraged the president to take advantage of the present favorable conditions to resolve the conflict which has lasted for 60 years. 

Pope Benedict expressed hope that given the recent renewal of contact between Israel and Palestine and the international conference scheduled for next November that the long-lasting crisis can be resolved.

He called on the Israelis and Palestinians to “make every effort to respond to the expectations of their peoples, sorely tried by a crisis that has lasted for 60 years and that continues to inflict mourning and destruction.”

On Wednesday, Peres told the AP that recent meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and the flurry of diplomatic activity in the Middle East could be the most promising developments yet in efforts to bring peace to the region.

During the his visit to the Vatican, President Peres also renewed an invitation for the Holy Father to visit the Holy Land, but the Vatican said that while Pope Benedict wants to visit, “this will only be possible when there is lasting peace or at least a solid truce between Israelis and Palestinians.”

A meeting was also held between the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the Israeli president. Their conversation centered around the continuing relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See, particularly in regard to property taxes that the Israeli government levies on the Church, which is one of the major land owners in the region.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: David Ben-Ariel
Toledo, Ohio, USA 09/10/2007 01:14 PM EST
How much did Shimon Peres sell out Jerusalem for? Will he become another papal knight and join the crusade to wrest Jerusalem from the Jews under the guise of UN Resolution 181?
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Published by: Brian J. McNally
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 09/07/2007 10:37 AM EST
Re: Israel Taxing Catholic Churches (Sept. 6)
In Canada churches and synagogues are NOT taxed as they considered a house of god.
PLEASE do a follow-up on the Pope's request to Pres. Perez to remove the tax on church property. AND indicate that some countries already to not charge taxes. ALSO urge Catholics to request Jewish friends to write to Perez asking reciprocal treatment on chruch taxes in Israel EQUAL to Canada!!!!!!
Thanks.
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Published by: Ted Johnson
Baltimore/MD/USA 09/06/2007 01:03 PM EST
"Their conversation centered around the continuing relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See, particularly in regard to property taxes that the Israeli government levies on the Church, which is one of the major land owners in the region." Curious that this would be the last sentence in the article. It refers to the Fundamental Agreement of 1993. The Vatican immediately recognized Israel with the expectation that Israel would implement the protections for Catholic institutions, hospitals and communities which was its part of the Agreement. 14 years later, Israel has yet to fulfill any of its obligations and has even taken the matter to its courts to try to get out of it. This matter really deserves more coverage as Catholic institutions are suffering badly.
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Published by: phil floersh
tucson/az/usa 09/06/2007 12:35 PM EST
Let's hope the Pope one day will visit the Holy Land.

phil
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