Pope Benedict XVI and the Middle East

Pope Benedict XVI resigned Thursday, February 28 after eight years serving as the head of the Catholic Church. He is the first pope to resign in 600 years. Pope Benedict XVI flew to the papal summer residence on Thursday evening, beginning his retirement. He explained to the crowd of supporters that greeted him upon his arrival to the summer residence: "I am simply a pilgrim beginning the last leg of his pilgrimage on this earth.”

Pope Benedict made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May 2009. During this eight-day trip, he visited many Christian sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcre and the Mount of Olives, as well as other sites, including Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial in Israel), the Western Wall, and the Dome of the Rock. Though Pope Benedict was critical of Israel’s policies regarding the wall and the status of Palestinian statehood, several Jewish people have acknowledged the work he did to dispel anti-Semitism.

 During a homily the Pope gave in Nazareth, he called to "Let everyone reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice, which kills men's souls before it kills their bodies." Pope Benedict visited the Aida Refugee camp as well, where he gave a speech. He shared, “I continue to pray that all parties to the conflict in these lands will have the courage and imagination to pursue the challenging but indispensable path of reconciliation.” He has also commented on the wall, arguing again for peace; “With the continuation of political instability, separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem and the rest of the world, we cannot find peace."

Pope Benedict’s view of peace regarding the Holy Land manifested itself in the two-state solution. The Pope welcomed the Holy See’s ability to vote for the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations in November 2012. The vote allowed the Palestinians to achieve the same status as the Vatican.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas extended his gratitude to Pope Benedict for this action on February 11.  An official Vatican statement referencing this recognition said that “it is hoped that this initiative will encourage the commitment of the international community to finding a fair and lasting solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response to news of Pope Benedict’s resignation, Israeli President Shimon Peres stated “Under his leadership the Vatican has been a clear voice against racism and anti-Semitism and a clear voice for peace. Relations between Israel and the Vatican are the best they have ever been and the positive dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people is a testament to his belief in dialogue and cooperation.”

Source: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)