Tensions Between Israel and the Vatican Persist
Pope Francis’s visit to Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel is being planned with the precision of a military attack. A minute-by-minute schedule has been released and some 8000 police will be on hand in Jerusalem. There will be a mass in Bethlehem and another in Jerusalem. Jerusalem residents have already been warned to expect massive traffic jams.
The Pope said his trip is “strictly religious” and that he will pray for peace in the region. He will meet Israel’s chief rabbis and the mufti of Jerusalem as well as Christian leaders. He will also see the Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders.
Christian leaders say the main purpose of the visit is the Pope’s meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians. It is 50 years since Pope Paul VI met Patriarch Athenagoras, who was then the leader of the world’s Greek Orthodox Christians. When the two men hugged, it ended 900 years of estrangement between the two churches.
“This visit is made to help the Christians live together,” Father Eugenio Aliata, a Franciscan priest in Jerusalem told The Media Line. “This is not a political visit, but a spiritual one. The Orthodox Christians and the Catholics are divided but they want to be together, and we hope some unity will be attained.”
Israeli officials agreed, trying to play down the diplomatic significance of the visit – the fourth time a Pope is visiting the Jewish state since its creation in 1948. The Pope, who leads 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and visit the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock mosque.
“There is no major significance to his visit,” said an Israeli official who spoke to The Media Line on condition of anonymity. “It’s as significant as the visit of any other head of state. But it is important for the head of the Catholic Church to come to the Jewish state.”
Before arriving in Israel, the Pope will celebrate mass at Manger Square in Bethlehem, visit a refugee camp, and have lunch with Palestinian families.
“We see these meetings with the families as very important,” Xavier Abu Eid, a member of the PLO Negotiations Support Unit told The Media Line. “It will enable the Holy Father to really see what is going on in Palestine and how difficult our life is.”
The trip comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel and the Vatican. In the past few weeks, Jewish extremists have sprayed anti-Arab graffiti on churches and mosques. Part of so-called “price tag” attacks, they aim to extract a price from the Israeli government in retaliation for what they perceive as concessions to the Palestinians.
There is also tension over a complex on Mount Zion, which Jews believe houses the tomb of King David. Christians believe the second floor, called the Cenacle, is the site of the Last Supper. There have been unconfirmed media reports that Israel has agreed to give the Vatican sovereignty over the building.
While Christian pilgrims are allowed to visit the building, they are not allowed to pray there. However, the Pope will be allowed to celebrate mass there during his visit.
In addition, there are tensions over financial issues, such as taxes on the Church’s considerable properties in Jerusalem. The Vatican has long asked for a tax exemption, but Israel worries it could set a precedent for other religious groups in the city. The two sides have been working on a financial agreement for years.
“We’re definitely making progress but I can’t say that we’ve reached an agreement yet,” the Israeli official said.
There have also been political disagreements between Israel and the Vatican. About 52,000 Christians live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem has frequently criticized Israel. About 160,000 Arab citizens of Israel are also Christian, and many identify with the Palestinain cause.
“The Catholic population in the Holy Land is not Jewish but Palestinian,” Hana Bendecowsky, of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations told The Media Line. “It makes sense that they would have pro-Palestinian views. But you need to distinguish between the local church and the policy of the Vatican.”
In fact, the Vatican has made a clear effort to strengthen ties with the Jews and the state of Israel, beginning with Vatican II, in 1965, which absolved Jews of responsibility for the death of Jesus. In recent years, especially under Pope John Paul II, those ties have deepened. He was seen as a rock star when he visited Israel and Bethlehem in 2000.
“The Catholic Church used to be a source of great anti-Semitism and now in many countries it’s one of the chief sources against anti-Semitism,” Debbie Weissman, the president of the International Conference of Christians and Jews, an interfaith group, told The Media Line. “There has been a real revolution in Catholic thinking and education in many parts of the world.”