Pope to pray for peace in the Holy Land with Peres and Abbas this Sunday
Vatican City (AsiaNews)-A an occasion to give thanks for Creation, to ask for forgiveness, to pray for peace, in the "chronological order" of the three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Followed by "a gesture of peace - probably a common handshake - the act of planting an olive tree and finally a private meeting. All interspersed with musical interludes according to the three cultural traditions. This is how the prayer meeting with Pope Francis, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, will take place next Sunday, 8th June.
The event, presented today at the Vatican by the Vatican Press Office director,
Father Federico Lombardi and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pizzaballa,
will be, in the words of the latter, "a break from politics, to direct our
gaze on High and then look at the situation in the Holy Land. " "We do
not presume that we can bring peace - he added- but to bring that greater breadth
that is missing today: Peace is not made in political chambers, but also with
the help of the media and public opinion ".
As Father Lombardi explained, Peres and Abbas are scheduled to arrive at 18.15
to 18.30, entering through the Perugino gate and arriving in Santa Marta. The
Pope will greet them separately at the entrance of Santa Marta, then have a
brief conversation, first with one and then with the other. At about 18:45, the
three will meet in the lobby of Santa Marta and where they will be joined by
Patriarch Bartholomew, who will arrive in Rome the night before. Then,
together, by car, the will go to the location of the prayer meeting. Pizzaballa
will be present to assist in the meeting.
The place where the event will take place "is a beautiful triangular meadow that lies between the Casina Pio IV, the Academy of Sciences and the Vatican Museums. This triangle is oriented toward the dome of St. Peter. So it's a very beautiful and interesting place in the Gardens, the encounter will take place between two tall hedges. " The delegations will have already taken their seats, and the four main protagonists: the Pope, the two presidents and Patriarch Bartholomew, will then take up their positions in point of the triangle.
The prayer "will be an invocation of peace, and will be distinct from
the point of view of the religious communities to which they belong."
The two presidents, said the Custos of the Holy Land, "are not religious men
but believers and each of them represents the citizens of their country of
other religions: for example Peres also Christians, Palestinians, Israeli
citizens, and Abu Mazen the Druze, who will also be present at the Vatican with
a delegation".
The Pope will be seated between the two presidents, with President Peres to his right and President Abbas to his left. The Patriarch will be seated in a distinct position nearby. Once they are all seated the moment of prayer will begin. There will be an introductory piece of music and a brief explanation of the event in English. There will then be three phases of prayer, following the chronological order of the three religions, that is, first Judaism, then Christianity and then Islam. The Jewish moment of prayer will have texts in Hebrew; the Christian texts in English, Italian and Arabic; the Muslim texts in Arabic. The program is ternary: the first prayer will give thanks for Creation, then for forgiveness, then for peace in all three moments of the three religions. There are some very simple musical interludes, orchestrated by Msgr. Palombella with the collaboration of musicians. At the beginning a string quartet will perform the String Quartet adaggio in B minor by Simon Baber; then, in later Hebrew moment of prayer there will be a clarinet and two violins with Jewish music on the theme of peace; the Christian moment will introduce a harp and a flute; in the Muslim moment of prayer there will be a violin accompanying, each religion using characteristic and suitable melodies to accompany the texts chosen for the prayers.
After these three moments, which are the essential part of the invocation
for peace, there will be a brief introduction in English of the concluding moment,
which are the three interventions, by the Holy Father, President Peres and
President Abbas, each making the appeal for peace that they deem appropriate.
After the three interventions, there will also be a gesture of peace - probably
a common handshake - and then the act of planting an olive tree, a symbolic gesture
typical of meetings and prayers for peace. The olive tree will be placed near the
four main protagonists, who will symbolically prepare the ground for the sapling
and plant it, a symbol of peace. After that, the four will return to their
seats, and the delegations will go to greet them: all delegations will greet
the Pope and the two presidents and Patriarch Bartholomew. The four
protagonists will then move towards the Academy of Sciences which is a few meters
away, in fact, through a gap in the hedge and across a path they will reach the
oval courtyard, called the
"Nymph", and there pose for a group photo before entering the Academy
for a private discussion. Journalists
and television cameras will not be allowed to follow. Following this closed
door and confidential meeting in the Academy of Sciences, both Presidents will immediately
leave the Vatican, and the Pope and the Patriarch return to Santa Marta, where they
are staying.
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