Encourages Israeli-Palestinian Peace Negotiations at Camp David
CASTEL GANDOLFO, JULY 23 (ZENIT.org).- At noon today, John Paul II encouraged the peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, currently being held in Camp David, and called for a special status for Jerusalem, which will internationally guarantee its condition of a Holy City for the three monotheistic religions.
"I support these negotiations, which are certainly not easy, with my prayer and encouragement, inviting those responsible to continue their efforts, in the hope that they will always be inspired by a sincere desire to respect the law and justice for all to reach a just and lasting peace," the Pope exhorted.
Negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, have reached their thorniest point in addressing the U.S. proposals on the future sovereignty of Jerusalem. Prior to attending the G-8 summit (the 7 most industrialized countries, plus Russia), held in Okinawa, Japan, last Thursday, President Clinton offered a number of options to resolve the conflict over the Holy City. The U.S. President left Okinawa several hours earlier than anticipated to return to the Camp David negotiations.
In his traditional Sunday meeting with pilgrims, John Paul II reiterated the Vatican's position on Jerusalem. "I would like to invite the parties in question, not to neglect the importance of the spiritual dimension of the City, with the holy places and communities of the three monotheistic religions that surround it."
"The Holy See continues to believe that only a special, internationally guaranteed status, will be able to effectively preserve the sacred parts of the Holy City, and insure the freedom of faith and worship to all faithful who, both in the region and the world, see Jerusalem as a crossroads of peace and coexistence."
At the beginning of this peace summit, the Latin, Orthodox, and Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem sent a letter to Camp David, requesting the ability to participate in future negotiations on the question of the Holy City. They also highlighted Jerusalem's role as a place of faith, surpassing its function as administrative capital of the Israeli and Palestinian States.
Fr. Angelo Macchi, expert of the "Civiltà Cattolica" magazine in international affairs, said today on Vatican Radio that the Pope requests the resolution of the question of Jerusalem's sovereignty "solely through agreements between Israelis and Palestinians," with the help of anyone offering to mediate (at present, the United States). However, clarifying this issue, given the importance of the holy places for all believers of the three monotheistic religions, he requests that an agreement be reached that is internationally guaranteed and that, in its implementation, the voice of Christians, Muslims, and Jews be heard. Delicate questions such as the free access of pilgrims to places of worship of the three religions, or the possible "construction of a 20-story building in front of the Holy Sepulcher Church" depend on this decision.
In order to illustrate the complexity and delicate nature of the Jerusalem question, Fr. Macchi revealed an interesting historical detail: "When the negotiations began in the 1991 Peace Conference of Madrid, the then U.S. Secretary of State said, 'Please, remove from your agenda the problem of Jerusalem. Address it at the end. If you address it in the beginning, you will never, never, never come to an agreement. When you have resolved the other questions, you will then be able to address the topic of Jerusalem and, given that once the other questions are resolved the process will then be irreversible, although it will require time, the question of Jerusalem's sovereignty will be resolved."
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