VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXIV - # 100
DATE 28-05-2014

Summary:
- POPE FRANCIS RECALLS HIS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
- FRANCIS GIVES THANKS FOR PRAYERS FOR HIS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
- MESSAGE TO THE ILO: IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SLAVE LABOUR IS COMMON CURRENCY
- "COR UNUM" IN THE SYRIAN CRISIS
- AUDIENCES
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
- NOTICE

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 POPE FRANCIS RECALLS HIS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
 Vatican City, 28 May 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father arrived punctually in
St. Peter's Square this Wednesday morning, and began his general audience
by touring the square in the popemobile to greet the 35,000 faithful and
pilgrims who awaited him, kissing children and blessing religious objects.
He then went on to speak about his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, from
which he returned on Monday. "It was a great gift for the
Church", he commented, "and I give thanks to God. He led me to
that blessed Land, that has seen the historical presence of Jesus and where
events fundamental to Judaism, Christianity and Islam took place".
 He explained that "the main aim of this pilgrimage was to commemorate
the fiftieth anniversary of the historic encounter between Pope Pope VI and
the Patriarch Athenagoras. It was the first time that a Successor of Peter
visited the Holy Land: Paul VI thus inaugurated, during Vatican Council II,
the tradition of papal trips outside Italy during the contemporary era.
This prophetic gesture on the part of the bishop of Rome and the Patriarch
of Constantinople constituted a milestone in the arduous but promising path
towards unity among all Christians, which has taken important steps since
then. Therefore, my encounter with His Holiness Bartholomew, beloved
brother in Christ, was the culmination of the visit. We prayed together at
the Holy Sepulchre, along with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem,
Theophilos III, and the Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Nourhan, as well as
archbishops and bishops from various Churches and Communities, civil
authorities and many faithful".
 "In that place, where the proclamation of the Resurrection resounds,
we all felt the bitterness and suffering of the divisions that continue to
exist between Christ's disciples, and this has really done great harm, harm
to the heart. We are still divided; in that place, where the proclamation
of the Resurrection resounds, where Jesus gives us life, we are still
divided. But above all, in that celebration so rich in mutual brotherhood,
esteem and affection, we strongly heard the voice of the Risen Good
Shepherd who wishes to bring together all His sheep in one flock; we felt
the desire to heal the wounds that are still open and to follow with
tenacity the path to full communion".
 "Once more, like my predecessors, I ask forgiveness for what we have
done to promote that division, and I pray that the Holy Spirit may help us
to heal the wounds we have inflicted on other brethren. We are all brothers
in Christ, and with the Patriarch Bartholomew we are friends, brothers; we
have shared the desire to walk together, to do what we are able to do
today: to pray together, to work together for God's flock, to seek peace
and protect creation, the many things that we have in common. We must move
forward like brothers".
 Pope Francis went on to speak about a second aim of the pilgrimage: that
of encouraging, in the region, the path to peace, "which is both a
gift from God and a commitment for humankind". He continued, "I
always did this as a pilgrim, in the name of God and of humankind, carrying
in my heart a great compassion for the sons of that Land, who have lived in
conditions of war for too long and have the right to finally experience
days of peace! For this reason I exhorted the Christian faithful to let
themselves be anointed by the Holy Spirit, with an open and docile heart,
to increasingly able to make gestures of humility, fraternity and
reconciliation. The Spirit enables us to assume these attitudes in our
daily life, with people of different cultures and religions, and to thereby
become peacemakers". He added, "peace is crafted day by day, and
with an open heart to allow God's gift to enter".
 The Pontiff commended the efforts made by the Jordanian authorities and
people to welcome the many refugees from war zones: "a humanitarian
effort that deserves and needs the constant support of the international
community. I was impressed by the generosity of the Jordanian people. May
the Lord bless this welcoming people". He also commented that in other
places during his pilgrimage he had "encouraged the authorities
involved to continue in their efforts to alleviate the tensions in the
Middle East, especially in war-torn Syria, and to continue their search for
an equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict". "For
this reason", he added, "I invited the president of Israel and
the president of Palestine, men of peace and artisans of peace, to join me
in the Vatican to pray together for peace".
 He commented that the trip had also offered "the opportunity to
confirm the faith of the Christian communities, who suffer greatly, and to
express the gratitude of all the Church for the presence of Christians in
that area and throughout the Middle East. These brothers of ours are
courageous witnesses of hope and charity, 'salt and light' in the Land.
Through their life of faith and prayer, and with their greatly appreciated
educational and welfare assistance, they work for reconciliation and
forgiveness, contributing to the common good of society".
 "With this pilgrimage", he concluded, "I wished be the
bearer of a word of hope, but I also received this in return! I received it
from the brothers and sisters who hope 'against all hope', amid the
suffering of those who have fled their own countries on account of
conflicts; of those who, throughout the world, are derided and
discriminated against for their faith in Christ. Let us stay close to them!
Let us pray for them, and for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle
East. May the prayer of all the Church also support the path to full unity
between Christians, so that the world may believe in God's love that in
Jesus Christ came to live among us".
 Pope Francis concluded by inviting the faithful to pray a Hail Mary for world peace.

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 FRANCIS GIVES THANKS FOR PRAYERS FOR HIS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
 Vatican City, 28 May 2014 (VIS) - In his greetings in various languages
following today's catechesis, the Holy Father invited all those present to
pray for peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East, and gave
thanks to those who accompanied with prayer his recent apostolic
pilgrimage. He addressed special greetings to the English and Welsh
pilgrims, members of the Catholic Police Association, as well as the
members of the International Catholic Commission for Migration who are
holding their plenary session in these days, and expressed his hope that
this "concerted commitment may contribute to assisting many of our
brethren in need". He also thanked the Arab-speaking pilgrims, above
all those from Jordan and the Holy Land, for the affectionate and generous
welcome received during his trip and assured them that he will hold them
forever in his heart and in his prayers, invoking "abundant goodness,
continuing prosperity and lasting peace".

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