Pope meets President Abbas again
Vatican City, Oct. 8 (dpa) - Pope Benedict XVI in talks Wednesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed hope that a "just and lasting solution," would be found to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During their 15-minute meeting in the Apostolic Palace the two leaders held "cordial discussions" in which they also recalled Benedict's trip to the Holy Land earlier this year, the Vatican said in a statement.
"The dialogue focused on the situation in the Middle East and, in particular, on the need to find a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which the rights of everyone are recognized and respected," the statement said.
"In this context, emphasis was given to the importance of co-operation and mutual respect between the parties involved, and of the support of the international community," it added.
"Reference was also made to the situation of Catholics in Palestine, and in the region more generally, and to the contribution they make to social life and to peaceful coexistence among peoples," the statement said.
[During his pilgrimage to the Holy Land last May, the Holy Father spent a day in Bethlehem as the guest of President Abbas.]
During their meeting the two exchanged gifts with Abbas offering the Pontiff a mosaic depicting an image of ancient Jerusalem, inscribed in Arabic with the words "Jerusalem the capital of Arab culture."
Benedict in exchange gifted the Palestinian president an image of St Peter's Square in bas relief made of pewter and ceramic.
Pope meets with President Abbas
08 Oct 09 (RV) - Pope Benedict has called for a "just and lasting" solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, in which "the rights of all are recognized and respected."
The Pope’s message was contained in aVatican Press Office statement released following his private audience with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.
President Abbas was also received by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, and Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
The talks were held in Pope Benedict XVI’s private library and lasted about 15 minutes. But before the doors were closed upon the two men the Pope was heard asking Abbas about the outcome of recent meetings in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama.
After the private meeting, President Abbas presented the Pope members of his entourage, among others, Saeb Erekat, who is leading negotiations with the Israelis, commenting that "he has a very important job to do."
During Thursday's meeting, Abbas presented Benedict with a tiled scene of Old Jerusalem with the words “Jerusalem, capital of Arab culture” written in Arabic and English.
Pope Benedict, for his part, presented Abbas with a large pewter bas relief depicting St. Peter's Square.
The text of the Vatican communqiue after the meeting:
This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.
President Abbas subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During the cordial discussions, having recalled the Holy Father's own recent trip to the Holy Land, the dialogue focused on the situation in the Middle East and, in particular, on the need to find a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which the rights of everyone are recognised and respected. In this context, emphasis was given to the importance of co-operation and mutual respect between the parties involved, and of the support of the international community.
Reference was also made to the situation of Catholics in Palestine, and in the region more generally, and to the contribution they make to social life and to peaceful coexistence among peoples.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 08/10/2009 20:21]