Jerusalem's Catholic Patriarch worried about papal visit

May 06, 2009

In an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, the Latin-rite Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem admitted that he is worried about the aftermath of the visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the Holy Land. Archbishop Fouad Twal remarked:

One word for the Muslims and I'm in trouble; one word for the Jews and I'm in trouble. At the end of the visit the pope goes back to Rome and I stay here with the consequences.

In the wide-ranging interview, the Patriarch expressed concern about "the total distrust that the government of Israel evinces" toward local Christian leaders. He said that he wished Israeli leaders would realize: "You can trust us and you can even get help from us." The papal trip might help in that regard, he said.

However, Archbishop Twal was disappointed that a final juridical pact between the Holy See and Israel, establishing the rights of Church institutions in the Holy Land, was not concluded before the papal visit. After years of diplomatic delays in negotiations toward that agreement, Haaretz reported, "Twal is wondering if agreements aren't finalized in honor of the pope's visit, when exactly will the right time will roll around?"

 

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Further information:

• Trembling before the pope (Haaretz)