Can Pope Francis Fill the Void in the Middle East?

In a trip packed with symbolism, Pope Francis arrived in Jordan Saturday to start an intensive three-day trip to the Middle East, bringing hope to the shrinking Christian population and appealing to members of all religions to work together for peace. Patriarch Louis Sako, Iraq's senior Churchman, told reporters on the eve of the visit: "This is not a protocol visit. This pope feels the pain of Christians and his arrival at this time as peoples of this region are going through conflict, killings and destruction is a message of common living. It's an appeal that everyone in this region should have the courage to review their positions, to get out of this suffocating crisis." The shrinking of the Christian population has accelerated because of Arab revolts, the Syria civil war, and the rise of radical Islam. "We are waiting impatiently for a word of peace from the pope that will raise morale. People in the street are asking what message will the pope carry," Sako said. It is the first visit to the region by Francis, who met Jordan's King Abdullah and Queen Rania and their children, thanking the King for "serene" Christian-Moslem relations in Jordan and for Jordan's acceptance of Syrian refugees, which Francis said deserved the world's appreciation and support. Addressing King Abdullah at the start of his visit, Francis praised the Western-backed Kingdom for its efforts : "to seek lasting peace for the entire region. This great goal urgently requires that a peaceful solution be found to the crisis in Syria, as well as a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." The pope also said a Mass in an Amman stadium for 25,000 Christians and refugees, where 1,400 children received their first communion, and afterward met refugees from Syria and Iraq in Bethany on the banks of the Jordan River, where tradition says Jesus was baptised. During this meeting Francis left his prepared script : "I ask who is selling arms to them [Syrians] so they can make war?" Christians make up about 5% of Syria's population, but assaults on Christian-majority towns by rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's rule have caused the country's religious minorities to fear the growing role of Islamic extremists in the revolt. Christians believe they are being targeted because of anti-Christian sentiment among Sunni Muslim extremists and as punishment for what is seen as their support for al-Assad, whose regime historically protected them. ~~~~~ On Sunday, Francis flies by helicopter to Bethlehem, for a six-hour visit to what the Vatican's official program calls "the State of Palestine," a term Israel rejects. In 2012, the Vatican angered Israel by supporting a vote in the UN General Assembly that recognized Palestine's de facto statehood, which Israel argues should come through negotiations. The Vatican says the term reflects the General Assembly decision. The pope's visit, and the fact that he is flying directly from Jordan to Bethlehem, bypassing Israel's security barrier from Jerusalem, is seen by Palestinians as a major morale builder. To underscore his conviction that all three great monotheistic faiths can live together in the region and overcome the political stalemate, Francis has enlisted a rabbi and an Islamic leader as part of his travelling papal delegation for the first time. The two - Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Omar Abboud, head of the Argentinian Moslem community - are friends dating from Francis' time as Cardinal in his native Argentina, and "an extremely strong and explicit signal" about the importance of inter-religious dialogue in the region, said Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi. ~~~~~ Francis flies to Israel on Sunday night for a 32-hour 16-event visit. Threats to Christians have been scrawled by presumed Jewish radicals on Church property in the Holy Land. One read : "Death to Arabs and Christians and all those who hate Israel." Archbishop Fouad Twal, Jerusalem's top Catholic official, said : "Their writings desecrate our religious symbols." Israeli security forces moved to prevent radicals from carrying out a major action against the Christian population or institutions during Francis' visit by issuing restraining orders against several Jewish right-wing activists for the duration of the pope's visit. Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the Vatican No. 2, said Francis, while in Israel, would also emphasize the Vatican's longstanding two-state position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is : "The right of Israel to exist and enjoy peace and security inside its internationally recognized borders, and the right of the Palestinian people to have a sovereign independent homeland, freedom of movement and the right to live in dignity." ~~~~~ Formally, the main reason for the trip is for Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting in Jerusalem of Pope Paul VI and the Orthodox Patriarch that ended 900 years of Catholic-Orthodox estrangement. That commemoration will come on Sunday when Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I preside over a joint prayer service in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Leaders from other churches will also be present. ~~~~~ PAPAL.VISIT HIGHLIGHTS. *The pope insisted on meeting "ordinary people" and so children were chosen from "families with someone who was martyred, injured or jailed - and also some ordinary people as well", to meet the pope at the Palestine Phoenix Centre. Each child will wear a T-shirt with the name of the village the family was originally displaced from. *After negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and the Vatican, Francis' route through Bethlehem will take him within a few meters of an imposing section of the Israeli separation wall that cuts the old road from Jerusalem to Hebron near Rachel's Tomb. There will be refugees from two camps lining either side of the road. The routing will create a photo opportunity that places Francis against the backdrop of one of the most visible signs of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. *Unlike Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the only large-scale open mass of Francis' visit - for some 9,000 people - will be in Manger Square, Bethlehem. *In Jerusalem, Palestinian residents say that because of security operations surrounding Francis while he is in the Holy City, it is unlikely they will see him. *Francis will meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in the presidential compound in Bethlehem, but the pope's official meetings with Israeli political leaders have been arranged to avoid the contentious international status of occupied East Jerusalem. So, he will be officially welcomed to Israel by President Shimon Peres after flying by helicopter to Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv from Bethlehem. His private meeting with the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, wil be at the Notre Dame center, which is Vatican Holy Land sovereign territory. *The most controversial part of the pope's trip will be a visit to the Cenacle – or "the room of the Last Supper" - in Jerusalem. It is located on the second floor of a stone complex on the remains of a Byzantine church in the Old City. Before the Ottoman period, the building was administered by the Catholic Franciscan order until the mid-16th century. The site is also considered sacred by Moslems and by Jews who say it is the site of the Tomb of King David. It has been the focus of two decades of negotiations between the Vatican and Israel over religious access for Christians, who are permitted to visit and pray there but not usually to celebrate mass. *Francis will visit holy sites of the three monotheistic religions : the Western Wall, al-Aqsa mosque and the churches of the Nativity and Holy Sepulchre. Some Christian faithful complain that there is more emphasis on inter-faith relations than on the local faithful. *Francis will visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial. *Like all heads of state who visit Israel, Francis will lay a wreath at the grave of the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl on Mount Herzl. Rabbi Skorka, Francis' friend,said last week : "That is a meaningful act. He understands the importance of the land of Israel and the state of Israel to the Jewish people." ~~~~~ Dear readers, this will help you follow Francis in the Middle East. We can hope that this straight-speaking pope may be able to do for the region what no one else has done - open hearts to the possibility of peace and brotherhood. While there will be no immediate miracles, we may hope that Francis will remain in contact with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to temper their relationship. Francis could also lend support to Jordan's King Abdullah as a means to influence the Syrian war. The UN and President Obama have abandoned their posts. Can Pope Francis fill the void?