Nueva diplomatic maneuver of the Church Catholic on the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The Pope XIV lion and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abasmet this Thursday in the Vatican, in a meeting in which they have agreed on the urgency of supporting the two-state solution. “During the cordial conversation, the urgency of provide help to the population civilian in Gaza and end the conflictpromoting the perspective of two state solution“, explained the Vatican itself, when disseminating the content of the conversation between the two leaders.
The meeting between Abbas and the Peruvian-American pontiff took place “on the occasion of the 10 anniversary of the Global Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine of June 2015″, specified the Catholic institution, after the meeting that took place between great security measures. Behind closed doors and with the sole presence of a translator, there has been “a warm handshakethe welcome greeting, [el intercambio de] gifts” followed by a meeting “face to face, in front of the large wooden desk of the Library of the Apostolic Palace,” added Vatican News, the information portal of the Holy See, with privileged access to Vatican information.
outstretched hand
Abbas arrived in Rome on Wednesday and among his first activities was a visit to the grave of the late pope Francisco (“an old friend”, according to Abbas himself) in the Roman basilica of Santa María la Mayor. A decision not lacking in symbolism. In 2014Exactly 11 years ago today, relations between Israel and Palestine had seen some light. That year, the late Argentine pontiff traveled to the Holy Land, on a visit that was later followed a historic meeting and prayer in the Vatican gardens between the then presidents of the two countries, Shimon Peres and Abbas.
With this baggage and aware of the tension between Israel and the Vatican —who in recent months has openly criticized the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu for the war against Gaza and the attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians of Christian religion in West Bank—, Abas has accepted the outstretched hand of XIV lion. Last July, the two leaders already maintained a conversation on the phoneafter Israel attacked (allegedly by “mistake”) the only Catholic Church in Gaza.
Short circuits
After an initial period of caution regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Leo XIV has been quite forceful in requesting the respect for humanitarian law international and demand the safeguarding of civiliansin his repeated addresses directed at Israel. As a consequence, in recent months, short circuits between Israel and the Vatican have multiplied, with numerous complaints from Israeli authorities even against Vatican officials.
It happened, nothing more, nothing less, with the Vatican Secretary of State and ‘number two’ of the Holy See, Pietro Parolin. After he gave an interview in October to L’Osservatore Romano in which he described “unacceptable“that people were reduced to “collateral damage” and demanded respect for the legal principle of proportionalitythe Israeli embassy stated that Parolin’s words had the danger of “undermining” efforts to achieve peace.
Attack on number two
“The recent interview with Cardinal Parolin, although undoubtedly well-intentioned, runs the risk of undermining the efforts to end the war in Gaza and counter rising anti-Semitism,” they wrote. “There is no moral equivalence between a democratic State that protects its citizens and a terrorist organization that tries to kill them. We hope that future statements will reflect this important distinction,” added the Israeli diplomatic representation, referring to Hamasand what seemed to rekindle the bad relationship with Franciscowho even said that it was necessary to analyze whether it has been genocide what has happened against the Gazan population.
But the Pope did not back down and protected his ‘minister’. “I prefer not to comment, but Cardinal expressed very well the opinion of the Holy See” Leo XIV then said. But this is not all. In parallel, Leo XIV has also repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism and has been trying establish contacts with Jewish groups who oppose Netanyahu or who are religious authorities with whom the Vatican maintains a dialogue. An example of this was a public meeting on October 28, in which representatives of the Patriarch of Moscow, ministers of religious affairs from Indonesia, but also rabbis from Israel participated. “War is never holy“Only peace is holy, because it is what God wants,” Robert Prevost said that day.
From his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Leo XIV expressed this past Tuesday his worry for which he considers a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas. “Thank God at least the first phase of the Peace Agreement is moving forward,” he reasoned. Now, however, “we have to find a way to move on to the second phaseanalyze the issue of government and see how the rights of all peoples can be guaranteed. Therefore, it is necessary to “try to work together for justice for all peoples”.
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