(ANS - Jerusalem) - The apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the Holy Land will end this evening 26 May, on the 50^th  anniversary of the meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople. The journey was entrusted to the protection of Mary Help of Christians. It has been a continuous series of celebrations and events that are very significant on a spiritual level and as part of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue.

It is almost impossible to pick out one event more important than others. In Jordan, around 40,000 faithful attended Mass at the International Stadium in Amman and 1,400 children made their First Communion.  Pope Francis spoke of peace , harmony and the Holy Spirit: "Peace cannot be bought. It is a gift to be sought patiently and built by hand, through small things and big things that affect our daily lives."

Then, still in Jordan, at the site of the Lord’s Baptism, the Pope met a group of 600 refugees and renewed his appeal on behalf of Syria: "May  reason and moderation prevail and may Syria return to the way of peace,  with the help of the international community."

Yesterday, Sunday 25 May, after his arrival in Palestine, the Pope met President Abbas.  At the Mass in Manger Square, he made a reference to the Baby Jesus as a "sign of God's tenderness and his presence in the world" and issued a surprise invitation to the presidents of Palestine and Israel for a joint meeting at the Vatican. He then had lunch with Palestinian families and greeted the children in the refugee camp of Dheisheh, before leaving for Israel.

In Jerusalem, Pope Francis had his long-awaited meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. He then proceeded to the first ecumenical celebration at the Holy Sepulchre, where the Pope emphasized the reasons for unity among the various denominations: "It is an extraordinary grace for us to be gathered here in prayer before the empty tomb which is the place of origin of the good news of the Resurrection (...) and the foundation of the faith that unites us."

Today, Pope Francis visited the Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, where he reiterated the message "Never again, Lord, never again!" in reference to the barbarity of anti-Semitic persecution. Also planned for today are the meeting with the President and the Prime Minister of the state of Israel, and in the afternoon, a meeting in the Church of Gethsemane with the priests, religious and seminarians.

Published 26/05/2014