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TUESDAY March 21, 2000 vol. 11, no. 57 SECTION TWOSee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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Today we bring you events of the Holy Father's first day in the Holy Land yesterday, including his meeting with Jordan's King Abdala II and the Pope's special trip to Mt. Nebo where he prayed at the grave of Moses and climbed the heights to look out over the Jordan Valley to peer towards Israel just as Moses had nearly three and a half millenniums ago. For accounts of these and other events during the Holy Father's first day in the Holy Land provided by ZENIT and CWN News, see JOHN PAUL II's "JUBILEE JOURNEY" - DAY ONE
EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the significance of the Holy Father's weeklong pilgrimage in retracing the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we are suspending some regular features in order to bring you more coverage of the "Jubilee Journey." That means today there will be no column by Michael Vincent Boyer but it will return in its regular slot next Tuesday. Also in tomorrow's issue Dr. Frank Joseph's column will run, but there will be no 2000 YEAR VOYAGE ON THE BARQUE OF PETER installment until next Wednesday.
AMMAN, Jordan (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II arrived in Amman,
Jordan, early in the afternoon of March 20, beginning his long-awaited
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The Pope's plane arrived at the Amman airport after a four-hour flight from
Rome; it was accompanied on the last leg of that flight by an escort of Mirage
jets from the Jordanian air force.
At an airport welcoming ceremony, the Holy Father alluded to the
involvement of Jordan in the Middle East peace process, saying, "Although it
has been difficult because it has been a long time, the search for peace must
continue."
The Pope was greeted by King Abdallah II as he stepped off the plane, and
seemed energetic as he walked down a long red carpet to meet other waiting
dignitaries, including Queen Rania and members of the Catholic hierarchy
and the country's Muslim leadership under a large colored tent.
In his formal remarks, the Pope remarked that "since the beginning of my
ministry as Bishop of Rome, I have had a great desire" to make a pilgrimage
to the Holy Land. For some months the Holy Father has pointed toward the
Jubilee year as the time for that pilgrimage, but in fact at the very beginning
of his papacy, in 1978, he expressed the wish that he might sometime be
able to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem.
Addressing himself directly to King Abdallah, and saluting both the current
king and his father, King Hussein, for their efforts on behalf of peace in the
Middle East, the Pope said that all believers-- Christian, Muslim, and Jewish-
- should recognize themselves as "one people and one single family." He
added that in the Middle East, "there are serious and urgent questions
regarding justice, the rights of peoples and of nations, which must be
resolved for the welfare of everyone involved." The resolution to these
problems, he said, is "a condition for a durable peace."
King Abdallah, in his own remarks, welcomed the Pontiff as "a man of peace"
as well as "a believer in God" and "a symbol of all that is pure and noble in
this life." Speaking more explicitly about the peace process, he said that he
hoped for a solution that would give hope to the Palestinian people in their
desire for justice, while guaranteeing the security of Israel and the stability
and integrity of Lebanon. He also mentioned the suffering of the people of
Iraq under an American-led embargo.
The Pope, in his talk at the airport, also mentioned the tiny Catholic
community in Jordan, which makes up just about 1 percent of the country's
population. The leaders of that Catholic community were on hand to welcome
him: the Melkite-rite Bishop George El-Murr of Amman, the Latin vicar for
Amman, Bishop Selim Sayegh, and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel
Sabbah, who is the president of the assembly of Catholic bishops of the Holy
Land-- a region which embraces Jordan. The Pope pointed out that the
Catholic Church has played an important role in Jordan-- as in the
neighboring lands-- in establishing schools, hospitals, and other charitable
institutions. In Jordan especially, he said, "your noble tradition of respect for all religions" has helped to further the apostolic mission of the Catholic faith.
As the Pope was traveling to Jordan, the Italian newspaper Corriere della
Sera carried an interview with Queen Rania, who had met the Pontiff during
a visit to Rome in September 1999. The queen said that "without a doubt the
Pope will touch the hearts of everyone in Jordan, a country that is
determined to be a model of religious tolerance."
AMMAN, Jordan (CWNews.com) -- On March 20, after being welcomed to
Amman, Jordan, by the country's King Abdallah, Pope John Paul II made his
pilgrimage to Mount Nebo-- where, like Moses, he looked out over the
Promised Land.
Situated about 15 miles southwest of Amman, in the middle of the Jordan
River valley, Mount Nebo is about 2500 feet high, and from the peak one can
see far into the hills of Judea and Samaria. Although the Pope's visit came on
a sunny day, a bit of haze in the distance obscured the view of Bethlehem,
Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the skyline of Jerusalem. But the Pope did his best
to make out the various sites, aided by a local Franciscan priest who pointed
out various landmarks to him.
About 20 Franciscan monks welcomed the Pope to Mount Nebo, where a
small metal shelter has been built around the ruins of a 6th-century
sanctuary-- which in turn was built on the site traditionally believed to be
where Moses stopped to look into the Promised Land before his death. There,
inside the ancient walls, the Pope and the bishops of Jordan took part in a
short prayer service, and the Pope prayed on the spot marked as the burial
place of Moses. A children's choir sang Latin and Arabic chants for the
service. After the ceremony, the Pope greeted each youngster individually--
doing so with obvious enjoyment.
Before leaving Mount Nebo for the automobile ride back into Amman, the
Pope prayed for God's help along "each step of this trip to this land-- his
land."
AMMAN, MAR 20 (ZENIT.org).- Jordan is the first stage of the 91st
international trip of John Paul II, considered by many as "the" trip par
excellence of his pontificate, because of its important spiritual
significance and the expectations awakened in terms of the peace process
in the Middle East.
After a 4-hour flight, the Pope's plane landed in "Queen Alia"
International Airport at 2 p.m. local time. The Pontiff was received by
King Abdala II of Jordan, the son and successor of King Hussein. Cannon
salvos accompanied the Holy Father's steps as he left the aircraft.
As is his custom, the Pope's first gesture was to kiss this soil of this
land, which presented him with an artistic bowl. The ceremony was
solemnized by a parade of the Royal Guard in traditional uniform.
The Pope's first words in Jordan were dedicated to peace in the Middle
East. Addressing King Abdala II, he said: "Your Majesty, I know how
deeply concerned you are for peace in your land and in the entire
region, and how important it is to you that all Jordanians, Muslims and
Christians, should consider themselves as one people and one family. In
this area of the world there are grave and urgent issues of justice, of
the rights of peoples and nations, which have to be resolved for the
good of all concerned and as a condition for lasting peace."
The future lies in dialogue. "No matter how difficult, no matter how
long, the process of seeking peace must continue. Without peace there
can be no authentic development for this region, no better life for its
peoples, no brighter future for its children. That is why Jordan's
proven commitment to securing the conditions necessary for peace is so
important and praiseworthy." At this moment of the Pope's speech, Church
bells pealed in this overwhelmingly Muslim country.
The Holy Father also mentioned the religious reasons for this trip, in
celebration of 2000 years since the birth of Christ. He referred to the
"spiritual" pilgrimage he made to Ur of the Chaldeans last month, and to
his trip to Egypt, which took him to Mount Sinai and has now brought him
to Jordan, a "land sanctified by the presence of Jesus himself, by the
presence of Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist, and of saints and
martyrs of the early Church." His purpose is precisely to visit those
places in which the presence of God in Revelation changed human history
forever.
Finally, the Holy Father said he had arrived in a friendly country.
"Yours is a land noted for its hospitality and openness to all." This
openness enables the country to guarantee religious liberty, "a
fundamental human right." In this way, "all citizens feel themselves
equal, and each one, inspired by his own spiritual convictions, can
contribute to the building up of society as the shared home of all."
In his welcome address, the Jordanian King also emphasized the need the
area has for a lasting peace. He said he was convinced of the
possibility to reach this objective, because "the power of love is
stronger than the conflicts." After recognizing the visit of John Paul
II, the "holy man" of peace, to the Hashemite Kingdom as "historic," the
King continued to ask for peace for all the peoples of the Middle East,
and stated that Jordanians are determined to carry this objective
forward.
It was a simple and cordial meeting, in which the hosts were the Franciscans, responsible for the custody of this monastery, whose foundations date back to the 4th century. Fr. Michele Piccirillo, the Superior of this Franciscan community and a great expert in archeology, illustrated in detail the secrets and meaning of the place. In remembrance of his pilgrimage, the Holy Father blessed a commemorative plaque as a gesture of good will for the first stage of restoration in this memorial to Moses. The restoration of the place, which is venerated by Muslims, Jews and Christians, will become a symbol of the new era of peace the region is enjoying.
After thanking the Franciscan community for its hospitality, the Pope returned to Amman, where shortly afterwards King Abdala II was waiting for him in his residence for a private meeting. At the end of this meeting, the Pope went to the Apostolic Nunciature where he will spend the night.
Tomorrow morning, the Holy Father will celebrate the most imposing Mass in this country's history, during which he will baptize 2,000 children in the Amman Stadium. ZE00032007
Today we bring you the Holy Father's discourse on his arrival yesterday in Amman, Jordan after a four-hour flight from Rome, arriving at 2 p.m. He was met by King Abdala II of Jordan who graciously escorted him to the podium where he gave his opening discourse in outlining the spiritual reasons for this wondrous, historic "Jubilee Journey." See THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS
1. In a spirit of profound respect and friendship, I offer greetings to all who live in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: the members of the Catholic Church and the other Christian Churches, the Muslim people whom we followers of Jesus Christ hold in high esteem, and all men and women of good will.
My visit to your country and the entire journey which I am beginning today is part of the religious Jubilee Pilgrimage which I am making to commemorate the Two Thousandth Anniversary of the Birth of Jesus Christ. From the beginning of my ministry as Bishop of Rome, I have had a great desire to mark this event by praying in some of the places linked to salvation history places that speak to us of that moment's long preparation through biblical times, places where our Lord Jesus Christ actually lived, or which are connected with his work of redemption. I have already been to Egypt and Mount Sinai, where God revealed his name to Moses and entrusted to him the tablets of the Law of the Covenant.
2. Today I am in Jordan, a land familiar to me from the Holy Scriptures: a land sanctified by the presence of Jesus Himself, by the presence of Moses, Elijah and John the Baptist, and of saints and martyrs of the early Church. Yours is a land noted for its hospitality and openness to all. These are qualities of the Jordanian people which I have experienced many times in conversations with the late King Hussein, and which were confirmed anew in my meeting with Your Majesty at the Vatican in September last year.
Your Majesty, I know how deeply concerned you are for peace in your own land and in the entire region, and how important it is to you that all Jordanians Muslims and Christians should consider themselves as one people and one family. In this area of the world there are grave and urgent issues of justice, of the rights of peoples and nations, which have to be resolved for the good of all concerned and as a condition for lasting peace. No matter how difficult, no matter how long, the process of seeking peace must continue. Without peace, there can be no authentic development for this region, no better life for its peoples, no brighter future for its children. That is why Jordan's proven commitment to securing the conditions necessary for peace is so important and praiseworthy. Building a future of peace requires an ever more mature understanding and ever more practical cooperation among the peoples who acknowledge the one true, indivisible God, the Creator of all that exists. The three historical monotheistic religions count peace, goodness and respect for the human person among their highest values. I earnestly hope that my visit will strengthen the already fruitful Christian-Muslim dialogue which is being conducted in Jordan, particularly through the Royal Interfaith Institute.
3. The Catholic Church, without forgetting that her primary mission is a spiritual one, is always eager to cooperate with individual nations and people of goodwill in promoting and advancing the dignity of the human person. She does this particularly in her schools and education programmes, and through her charitable and social institutions. Your noble tradition of respect for all religions guarantees the religious freedom which makes this possible, and which is in fact a fundamental human right. When this is so, all citizens feel themselves equal, and each one, inspired by his own spiritual convictions, can contribute to the building up of society as the shared home of all.
4. The warm invitation which Your Majesties, the Government and the people of Jordan have extended to me is an expression of our common hope for a new era of peace and development in this region. I am truly grateful, and with deep appreciation of your kindness I assure you of my prayers for you, for all the Jordanian people, for the displaced people in your midst, and for the young people who make up such a large part of the population.
May Almighty God grant Your Majesties happiness and long life!
May He bless Jordan with prosperity and peace!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".
"Wars are not made by politics, but by politicians with a certain philosophy of life. No explanation of war has ever been as clear as the biblical one which declares that wars are punishments on man for for his sin. Not a punishment in the sense that God sends a war as a father spanks a child for an act of disobedience; but rather taht a war follows a breakdown of morality, as thunder follows lightening, and as blindness follows the plucking out of the eye."
NOTE: We respectfully recognize and accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See of Rome and the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judjment we humbly and obediently submit.
"Dear children! Wake up from the sleep of unbelief and sin, because this is a
time of grace which God gives you. Use this time and seek the grace of healing of your heart from God, so that
you may see God and man with the heart. Pray in a special way for those who have not come to know God's
love, and witness with your life so that they also can come to know God and His immeasurable love. Thank you
for having responded to my call."
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