Pope Francis has called on the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to “break the spiral of hatred and violence”, during a historic meeting of the two Middle Eastern presidents at the Vatican.
Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, joined Francis in praying in the Vatican gardens before planting an olive tree there.
A similar prayer initiative took place in Westminster on Friday, when Cardinal Vincent Nichols prayed with the Israeli and Palestinian envoys to Britain.
The Pope had unexpectedly invited the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to "visit his home" during his visit to the Holy Land last month.
Francis told them that their presence was "a sign of brotherhood." He said that “our children” were "yearning for the dawn of peace".
Talks between Israel and Palestine broke down in April, with both sides attributing blame to the other.
The meeting, Francis hoped, would inspire the leaders to "tear down the walls of enmity and to set out on the path of dialogue."
He said: "Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict: yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiations and no to hostilities."
President Peres said that Francis had emerged as "a bridge-builder" who had moved people of all faiths in the Middle East.
He said both Israelis and Palestinians were "aching for peace," adding, "It is within our power to bring peace to our children. This is our duty, the holy mission of parents."
President Abbas called for a Palestine and Jerusalem that was “a secure land for all the believers”.
He prayed: "O Lord, bring comprehensive and just peace to our country and region so that ... the peoples of the Middle East and the whole world would enjoy the fruit of peace, stability and coexistence.”
After the prayers, the three retired for private talks, before kissing each other on both cheeks.
The Vatican has insisted that Francis was not attempting to mediate in the conflict. Fr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who helped to organise the visit, said: “It is not as if anyone expects peace to break out tomorrow. The prayers are a pause from politics, which Francis hopes will allow the leaders to see from a distance the reality of the Holy Land.”
Meanwhile in London on Friday, Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols welcomed the Israeli and Palestinian diplomatic envoys in London, Daniel Taub and Manuel Hassassian, to Archbishop's House to pray together for peace in the Holy Land.
“They united their prayers with those to be offered in the Vatican on the evening of Sunday 8 June, led by Pope Francis,” the spokesman said.
“During their time of prayer, the ambassadors and the cardinal read passages from the Scriptures in Hebrew, Arabic and English. Their prayer was accompanied by the singing of Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my Shepherd', by a chorister from Westminster Cathedral Choir."
Photos: CNS
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