Pope Francis has signed a joint appeal with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to protect the status quo of Jerusalem as a place of worship for the followers of the monotheistic faiths.
The Holy See has long supported a two-state solution in the Middle East, and supports the international community’s position that Jerusalem is a city of religious and political importance that transcends any one state.
“We consider it important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif as the common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence,” Pope Francis and King Mohammed wrote in their appeal signed in Rabat, 30 March, during Francis’ visit to Morocco.
“To this end, the specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem/Al Quds Acharif must be protected and promoted.”
The appeal implicitly recognises the international concern about the status of Jerusalem following the President of the United States’ unilateral decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital, a sore topic for Palestinians who want East Jerusalem as the capital for their future independent state.
The move also runs counter to United Nations resolutions rejecting unilateral decisions on Jerusalem’s status which have been supported by the Holy See.
December 2017, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi told The Tablet that President Donald Trump was throwing “fuel on the fire”of Middle East conflicts, while the Pope said the “status quo” of Jerusalem should be maintained hours before the president announced his decision.
The joint appeal in Morocco comes days after the King of Jordan, Abdullah II – who is custodian of the holy sites of Jerusalem – visited King Mohammed VI to enlist the Moroccan monarch’s support. King Abdullah has been critical of President Trumps’ decision over Jerusalem, which is supported by Israel and some Arab states.
In 2017 Francis met with King Abdullah II to discuss the fall out from the US president’s decision on Jerusalem, and also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hours after the news went public.
During a 2014 trip to the Holy Land Francis showed sympathy to the Palestinian cause by stopping his popemobile in front of Israel’s security wall on Jerusalem’s west bank, and then later invited Israeli president Shimon Peres and President Abbas to the Vatican to pray and plant an olive tree for peace in the Vatican gardens.
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