JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER
EUROPEAN UNION ELECTIONS 2014-SETTING STAGE FOR DICTATOR
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/the-elections-2014-have-occured-in.html
OTHER POPE NEWS
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/open-letter-to-pope-of-rev-1311-18-and.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/pope-involved-in-peace-process-tells.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/a-peace-pact-between-all-religions.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/pope-to-israel-for-fruits-of-peace.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2014/05/popes-holy-land-visit-in-2-days.html
FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN
REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I
beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and
he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as
a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE
FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of
the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and
them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound
was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS
CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With
whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN
POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the
wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into
the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast,
full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And
the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet
colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES
FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS
OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest,
where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR)
these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and
shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and
give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be
fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the
valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my
people(ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered
among the nations, and parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED
JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO
ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE WORLD).
THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 11:21-23
21
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not
give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and
obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with
him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become
strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the
fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers
have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the
prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices
against the strong holds, even for a time.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26
And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF
69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof
shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are
determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND
PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL
WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant
(PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2
yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of
abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring
man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised
the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS
HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And
Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+)
when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of
Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated
the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was
intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the
children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her;
and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the
LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb,
and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND
THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other
people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the
younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME
CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's
heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was
threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE
THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2
TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN
CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS
JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell
are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through,
it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under
falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord
GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a
precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not
make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and
righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge
of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your
covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell
shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then
ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth
it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and
by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
05/26/2014
- VATICAN INSIDER-Francis: “Bishops and priests must not be false
traitors”-Francis at the Church of All Nations-Francis met priests,
religious and seminarians in the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane:
“We are all exposed to sin and evil”-Domenico Agasso jr
jerusalem-“Here,
in this place, each of us – bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and
seminarians – might do well to ask: Who am I, before the sufferings of
my Lord?” Francis said this during today’s meeting with priests,
religious and seminarians at the Church of All Nations in Jerusalem.“At
the hour which God had appointed to save humanity from its enslavement
to sin, Jesus came here, to Gethsemane, to the foot of the Mount of
Olives. We now find ourselves in this holy place, a place sanctified by
the prayer of Jesus, by his agony, by his sweating of blood, and above
all by his “yes” to the loving will of the Father. We dread in some
sense to approach what Jesus went through at that hour; we tread softly
as we enter that inner space where the destiny of the world was
decided,” Francis said.“In that hour,” Francis continued, “Jesus felt
the need to pray and to have with him his disciples, his friends, those
who had followed him and shared most closely in his mission. But here,
at Gethsemane, following him became difficult and uncertain; they were
overcome by doubt, weariness and fright. As the events of Jesus’ passion
rapidly unfolded, the disciples would adopt different attitudes before
the Master: closeness, distance, hesitation.” “Here, in this place, each
of us – bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and seminarians – might
do well to ask: Who am I, before the sufferings of my Lord? Am I among
those who, when Jesus asks them to keep watch with him, fall asleep
instead, and rather than praying, seek to escape, refusing to face
reality? Do I see myself in those who fled out of fear, who abandoned
the Master at the most tragic hour in his earthly life? Is there perhaps
duplicity in me, like that of the one who sold our Lord for thirty
pieces of silver, who was once called Jesus’ “friend”, and yet ended up
by betraying him? Do I see myself in those who drew back and denied him,
like Peter? Shortly before, he had promised Jesus that he would follow
him even unto death; but then, put to the test and assailed by fear, he
swore he did not know him. Am I like those who began planning to go
about their lives without him, like the two disciples on the road to
Emmaus, foolish and slow of heart to believe the words of the
prophets.”“Or, thanks be to God, do I find myself among those who
remained faithful to the end, like the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John?
On Golgotha, when everything seemed bleak and all hope seemed
pointless, only love proved stronger than death. The love of the Mother
and the beloved disciple made them stay at the foot of the Cross,
sharing in the pain of Jesus, to the very end.”“The love of the Mother
and the beloved disciple made them stay at the foot of the Cross,
sharing in the pain of Jesus, to the very end.”“Do I recognize myself in
those who imitated their Master and Lord to the point of martyrdom,
testifying that he was everything to them, the incomparable strength
sustaining their mission and the ultimate horizon of their lives?”
Francis continued.Francis then stressed that “Jesus’ friendship with us,
his faithfulness and his mercy, are a priceless gift which encourages
us to follow him trustingly, our failures, our mistakes and betrayals
notwithstanding.”“But the Lord’s goodness does not dispense us from the
need for vigilance before the Tempter, before sin, before the evil and
the betrayal which can enter even into the religious and priestly life.”
“All of us,” he said off the cuff, “are exposed to sin, evil and
betrayal.”“We are fully conscious of the disproportion between the
grandeur of God’s call and of own littleness, between the sublimity of
the mission and the reality of our human weakness. Yet the Lord in his
great goodness and his infinite mercy always takes us by the hand lest
we drown in the sea of our fears and anxieties. He is ever at our side,
he never abandons us.” “And so, let us not be overwhelmed by fear or
disheartened, but with courage and confidence let us press forward in
our journey and in our mission.”“You, dear brothers and sisters,”
Francis emphasized, “are called to follow the Lord with joy in this holy
land! It is a gift and it is a responsibility. Your presence here is
extremely important; the whole Church is grateful to you and she
sustains you by her prayers.”“I would like to extend a greeting to all
Christians in Jerusalem. I remember them with affection and I pray for
them. I am well aware of the difficulties they experience in their
city.”After his visit to the Chief Rabbinate in Israel and before
arriving at the Church of All Nations, the Pope met with a group of sick
Christian children suffering from tumours.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will
also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of
Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people(ISRAEL) and
for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and
parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON
WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE
WORLD).
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before
them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame
burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them
a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED) and their eyes shall
consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED) and their tongue shall consume
away in their mouth.(DISOLVED)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS
ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to
pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among
them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour,
and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3
BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
REVELATION 9:18
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with
sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE
DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE
17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS
KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE
BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND
DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in
that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN
WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto
them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against
Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten
by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE
SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE
CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH
IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
THE
POPE AGREEING WITH A 2 STATE SOLUTION-MEANS DIVIDING JERUSALEM- WHICH
MEANS 3 BILLION DEAD.YOU SEE WHAT THE POPE WANTS.HE OVIOUSLY DOES NOT
KNOW PROPHECY OR HE WOULD NEVER CALL FOR A 2 STATE SOLUTION AND THE
DIVISION OF JERUSALEM.
05/25/2014 -VATICAN
INSIDER-The Pope: The “Two State Solution” must become reality and not
remain merely a dream-Tel Aviv. Francis at the Ben Gurion airport with
Peres-Francis in Tel Aviv, greeted by Peres and Netanyahu. The Pope’s
pain for the anti-Semitic attack in Brussels-Maurizio Molinari
Reporting
from JERUSALEM-“Welcome to Israel, an island of tolerance in the Middle
East”. With these words, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
greeted Pope Francis on the runway at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel
Aviv, where the Pope landed in a Jordanian military helicopter as he
arrived from Bethlehem.Pope Francis was received by Shimon Peres, who
escorted the Holy Father through the guard of honour. After the national
anthems, Peres was the first to speak, expressing a “hope for peace”
and condemning the anti-Semitic attack in Brussels as a “senseless
murder”.Netanyahu was next to speak, paying homage to the “noble and
natural humility” of the Pope, likening it to the Jewish concept of
“Tikkun Olam”, the healing of the world, to then highlight how “Israel
is a State where the right to freedom of faith is respected”. “We are
proud of the pluralistic nature of our society, which respects all its
citizens regardless of religion or nationality” added Netanyahu,
thanking the Pope for his “strong stance against any anti-Semitic
sentiment”. “Welcome to Jerusalem, the eternal city of justice and
peace, Salve in Terra Sancta” concluded the Prime Minister.“I thank you
for the warm welcome, it is a joy to visit Israel” replied the Pope,
saying that he was a “pilgrim in the Holy Land in the footsteps of his
predecessors” and expressing his good wishes that “this blessed land be a
place in which there is no space for intolerance or violence towards
others”. Bergoglio then referred to Jerusalem as a “city of peace”
observing how “it is still deeply troubled as a result of longstanding
conflicts”.“I implore those in positions of responsibility to leave no
stone unturned in the search for equitable solutions to complex
problems, so that Israelis and Palestinians may live in peace” added the
Pope. “The “Two State Solution” must become reality and not remain
merely a dream”. Francis also talked of the right of the Palestinians to
a “sovereign homeland” and the right of the Israelis to live in
safety.The Pope then repeated his invitation – which he already extended
in Bethlehem – to presidents Abu Mazen and Shimon Peres to “come to my
home in the Vatican” for a “meeting of prayer” for peace. In the final
part of the speech, the Pope condemned the attack at the Jewish museum
in Brussels, in which three people were killed including two Israelis:
“With a deeply pained heart, I think of those who have lost their lives
in the cruel attack that occurred yesterday in Brussels," he said,
highlighting the need to “teach tolerance” as an antidote to
anti-Semitism.“A particularly moving part of my stay will be my visit to
the Yad Vashem Memorial to the six million Jews who were victims of the
Shoah, a tragedy which is the enduring symbol of the depths to which
human evil can sink. I beg God that there will never be another such
crime, in which Jews suffered but also many others,” he concluded. The
Pope then left the Ben Gurion airport for Jerusalem, where he will meet
the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I on the Mount of Olives.
JESUS RETURNS TO EARTH BODILY TO RULE AND REIGN FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER AND WE COME BACK WITH HIM ON WHITE HORSES.
ACTS 1:10-11
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
ZECHARIAH 14:4
4
And his (JESUS) feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,
which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall
cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and
there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
MATTHEW 24:27-30
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.(WW3 BIGTIME DEATH)
29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
REVELATION 19:11-16
11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse;(JESUS RETURNS TO
EARTH LITERALLY) and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a
flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name
written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14
And the armies (CHRISTIANS RAPTURED 7 YEARS EARLIER) which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he
should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and
he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
ISAIAH 9:6-7
6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:(JESUS 1ST COMING)
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:(JESUS 2ND COMING AS
RULING KING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER AT THE END OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION)
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his
(JESUS) government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of
David,( IN JERUSALEM) and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
JUDE 14-16
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,
and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.(KING JESUS-GOD)
16 These are murmurers, complainers,
walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling
words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
05/26/2014
- VATICAN INSIDER-That impossible meeting between the two leaders in
the Holy Land-Pope Francis with Shimon Peres-Francis would have liked to
have seen Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen together on this trip-Andrea
Tornielli
jerusalem-Pope Francis’ “religious” and
“spiritual” visit sent out two powerful messages to the Israeli and
Palestinian people, the Middle East and the international community
yesterday. The “creativity” of the Pope’s gestures is not in any way out
of line with the objectives of this pilgrimage: praying in silence in
front of a wall and inviting the leaders of two States to the Vatican to
pray for peace does not imply a road map is being set out or political
and diplomatic strategies imposed.It is important to note that on 13 May
2009, in the very same place, Benedict XVI, had said: “it is tragic to
still see walls being erected.” Ratzinger had hoped that the reinforced
concrete barrier would come down in the future. It protected the West
Bank and kept Israeli’s safer from terrorist attacks. But it also
divided families and entire communities and the course along which it
was built, made any kind of movement problematic and made it even
harder for a Palestinian State to be created. Francis did not mention
this in his speeches as his predecessor had. He “spoke” in his own way,
with a silent and eloquent gesture.This may have been the first
unscheduled meeting on the Pope’s agenda for his Palestinian visit,
Francis’ announcement of a meeting in the Vatican with Peres and Abu
Mazen was a whole different kettle of fish. Francis announced this
meeting in order to help move things along in the stagnant
Palestinian-Israeli peace process. The Pope was keen to hold the meeting
during this trip, as an important gesture of peace. But it was not
possible given the complex internal political chemistry between
President Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and between
President Abu Mazen and Hamas.Francis did not give up on his “dream” and
in a gesture similar to that of the day of fasting and prayer for peace
in Syria in September 2013, the Pope’s invitation to the two leaders to
visit the Vatican, was accepted by both parties. The meeting will most
likely take place on 6 June in the Vatican. Time is tight as Peres’
presidential mandate will end at the end of July. “Our hand is stretched
out in peace and will continue to be stretched out in peace, and we
shall seek the right path to achieve it," the Israeli president said as
he greeted Francis at Tel Aviv airport. “All of us - especially those
placed at the service of their respective peoples - have the duty to
become instruments and artisans of peace, especially by our prayers,”
Francis said, extending his invitation. “Building peace is difficult,
but living without peace is a constant torment.” “All men and women of
this land, and the world at large, are asking us to work towards peace,”
the Pope recalled.
05/26/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-Francis
meets Peres: “Protect the legacy of the Holy Places and those who visit
them”-Peres and the Pope-In his speech to the Israeli president Francis
sent out another appeal for peace, saying that his “natural humility
raises a spiritual elation”-ANDREA TORNIELLI
jerusalem-“The
Holy Places are not monuments or museums for tourists, but places where
communities of believers daily express their faith.” “Precisely for
this reason, their sacred character must be perpetually maintained and
protection given … to all those who visit these sites,” Francis said in
his address to the President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres,
during his courtesy visit to the presidential palace on the last day of
his visit to the Holy Land. Francis recalled the “sacred character” of
this region for the three great Abrahamite religions. Peres welcomed the
Pope in the front garden of the palace and accompanied him inside.
Here, Francis signed the golden guestbook.After the private meeting and
the exchange of gifts, Francis and Peres returned to the garden to plant
an olive tree, a symbol of peace. They then approached the podium with
the big white tent, to pronounce their speeches in the presence of
hundreds of Israeli children with different backgrounds and
religions.“You have come to Jerusalem which radiates faith and
understands suffering,” he said, before saying to Francis: “The humility
in your nature and the power in your spirit raised a spiritual elation
and a thirst for peace.” Peres stressed that respect for the Holy Places
is one of Israel’s core values. The president then spoke of the
“innocent blood” that “is crying from this land.” He also said that the
Pope “stand as firmly as a rock against any attempt to connect religion
to terror.”“I believe that your visit and call for peace will echo
through the region and contribute to revitalizing the efforts to
complete the peace process between us and the Palestinians, based on two
states living in peace. A Jewish state – Israel. And an Arab state –
Palestine,” Peres added. “My dear friend, I was young and now I am old. I
learnt that dreams do not age and I recommend to all act accordingly,”
the president said. He has accepted the Pope’s invitation and will visit
the Vatican on 6 June.Francis then took the floor. “The Holy Places are
not monuments or museums for tourists, but places where communities of
believers daily express their faith and culture, and carry out their
works of charity. Precisely for this reason, their sacred character must
be perpetually maintained and protection given not only to the legacy
of the past but also to all those who visit these sites today and to
those who will visit them in the future.” “How good it is when pilgrims
and residents enjoy free access to the Holy Places and can freely take
part in religious celebrations,” he observed.The Pope then added
spontaneously: “You are known as a man of peace and a peacemaker. I
appreciate and admire the approach you have taken.”The Pope returned to
the subject of the stagnant peace negotiations. “Peacemaking demands
first and foremost respect for the dignity and freedom of every human
person, which Jews, Christians and Muslims alike believe to be created
by God and destined to eternal life. This shared conviction enables us
resolutely to pursue peaceful solutions to every controversy and
conflict. Here I renew my plea that all parties avoid initiatives and
actions which contradict their stated determination to reach a true
agreement and that they tirelessly work for peace, with decisiveness and
tenacity.”“There is need,” Francis added, “for a firm rejection of all
that is opposed to the cultivation of peace and respectful relations
between Jews, Christians and Muslims. We think, for example, of recourse
to violence and terrorism, all forms of discrimination on the basis of
race or religion, attempts to impose one’s own point of view at the
expense of the rights of others, anti-Semitism in all its possible
expressions, and signs of intolerance directed against individuals or
places of worship, be they Jewish, Christian or Muslim.”The Pope then
assures Peres of the role which the Christian community intends to play
in Israel. “Christians wish … to contribute to the common good and the
growth of peace; they wish to do so as full-fledged citizens who reject
extremism in all its forms and are committed to fostering reconciliation
and harmony.”“The presence of these communities and respect for their
rights – as for the rights of all other religious groups and all
minorities – are the guarantee of a healthy pluralism and proof of the
vitality of democratic values as they are authentically embodied in the
daily life and workings of the State.”Finally, the Pope said, in another
spur-of-the-moment comment: “You know that I pray for you and I know
you pray for me.”
REVELATION 13:11
11 And I beheld another
beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two
horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a
dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE
FAITH)
REVELELATION 17:2,9,15
2 With whom the kings of the
earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the
inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
fornication.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven
heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS
BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
15 And he saith unto me, The waters
which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1
BILLION)
Vatican Denies Papal Visit Has Political
Agenda-Pope had 'no political agenda,' the Vatican claims - despite
numerous references to 'State of Palestine' and prayer at security
fence.By AFP and Tova Dvorin-First Publish: 5/26/2014, 6:13 PM / Last
Update: 5/26/2014, 6:19 PM-IsraelNationNews
The
Vatican denied Monday that Pope Francis's Middle East trip has been
driven by a political agenda, AFP reports Monday. Francis "has no
political agenda" and his unscheduled visits to the Judea and Samaria
security fence and to a memorial for Israeli civilians killed in
terrorist attacks were "gestures" which "rounded out his official
program," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.On Sunday, Francis
made an unplanned stop by the separation barrier, climbing out of his
open jeep to pray, his forehead and hand resting against the wall, in a
powerful show of support for Palestinian Arabs.The gesture profoundly
angered Israelis, who noted immediately that the wall has saved
countless Jewish lives from Palestinian Arab terror. His unscheduled
stop Monday at national cemetery on Mount Herzl took place at the
personal request of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to
"balance" his trip, Lombardi said."I was not surprised to hear negative
reactions in Israel over the pope's decision to stop and pray in front
of the separation barrier," Lombardi said. "The pope did not know about
the (Israeli) memorial, and added it when it was possible."The pope was
winding up a packed trip which saw him issue a unique invitation to
Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman
Mahmoud Abbas to pray with him at the Vatican to end their "increasingly
unacceptable" conflict. Both accepted the invitation.
'No political agenda'?
Although
Francis himself stated that the visit is a "purely religious trip," the
Vatican - and the Pope himself - has made several questionable
statements over the visit. Sunday, Pope Francis addressed what he called
"the State of Palestine," according to Ma'an, calling Abbas "a man of
peace." In his speech, he called for a two-state solution and an end to
the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict, which he deemed "unacceptable."
The Vatican itself also used select terminology for the proceedings,
titling the events on YouTube with specific - and differing -
terminology, as demonstrated below. Official Vatican YouTube channel of
Bethlehem event - uses 'State of Palestine' Screenshot; special thanks
to Yoni Kempinski-.but how does the Vatican relate to the State of
Israel? Not as a 'State'? Screenshot; special thanks to Yoni
KempinskiThe Vatican said the main reason for the visit was a meeting
in Jerusalem with Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of
Constantinople, seeking to heal a nearly 1,000-year rift between the
Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.But ahead of the trip, Vatican
Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin defended the Palestinian
Arabs' right to a "sovereign and independent" homeland and said he hoped
Francis's visit would lead to "courageous decisions" for peace.Rabbi
Sergio Bergman, a member of the Argentinian parliament and close friend
of Pope Francis, reported in February that the pope intends to define
himself as the "Che Guevera of the Palestinians" and support their
"struggle and rights" during his visit.It has also been noted that the
pope has been remarkably tight-lipped over the violent persecution of
Christians in Bethlehem, instead choosing to condemn alleged Jewish
"price tag" vandalism.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/181066#.U4NzE3aRfeE
Livni
'Out of Control' and Must be Stopped, MK Says-MK Danny Danon told Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he had to restrain 'out of control'
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.By Yaakov Levi-First Publish: 5/26/2014,
7:32 PM-IsraelNationalNews
At the Likud faction
meeting Monday, MK Danny Danon told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
that he had to do something to restrain Justice Minister Tzipi Livni –
whom, Danon said, was “out of control.""She is running her own private
foreign policy in her meetings with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud
Abbas, and this is damaging our efforts to fight against Hamas,” Danon
said.Reports last week said that Netanyahu was on the verge of firing
Livni for meeting with Abbas in an unapproved get-together.Livni
reportedly met with Abbas during a trip to London, expressing Israel's
dissatisfaction with the unity pact he reached with Hamas.The meeting
was the first between Abbas and a senior Israeli official since Israel
pulled out of the peace talks in response to the Hamas-Fatah unity
pact.According to reports, Livni had informed Netanyahu that she was to
meet with Abbas. Netanyahu criticized the move, but sources close to the
Prime Minister said that Netanyahu had not even been aware of the
meeting. When he found out what she was planning, he specifically told
her not to meet with Abbas – a directive she subsequently
ignored.Netanyahu was prepared to fire Livni, the sources said, but
changed his mind at the last moment, after sources close to Finance
Minister Yair Lapid indicated that her firing would trigger a “coalition
crisis.”Livni defended her decision to meet Abbas, emphasizing that she
would do it again if she felt it was necessary. This, said Danon, was
going too far. “Livni is damaging our interests, and you must put a stop
to it.” Netanyahu had said over the weekend that he would “weigh
options” if Livni held more meetings with Abbas.Meanwhile, Livni slammed
Netanyahu for using the term “unilateral” in an interview last week.
Netanyahu spoke with Jeffrey Goldberg of Bloomberg View about the failed
peace talks with the PA, saying that he wants "a demilitarized
Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state."Given the failure of
the negotiations, he hinted that he is considering unilateral moves.
"It’s true that the idea of taking unilateral steps is gaining ground,
from the center-left to the center-right. Many Israelis are asking
themselves if there are certain unilateral steps that could
theoretically make sense," said Netanyahu.Livni said that it was
premature to speak of such moves before knowing what they would entail,
and what moves would be undertaken. “It's like someone saying that he is
in favor of the weather,” she said. “Without a clear direction of what
that means, there's no point to saying it.”
05/26/2014 -
VATICAN INSIDER-Francis celebrates mass in the Cenacle: “Here the
Church was born, and was born to go forth”As Francis’ visit to the Holy
Land draws to an end, the Pope celebrates mass in the place where Christ
shared the Last Supper with his disciples-Andrea Avveduto
jerusalem-Service,
fraternity, the Church. This is the meaning of the Cenacle according to
Pope Francis. Just after he met religious in the All Nations Church in
Gethsemane, the Holy Father celebrated mass in the very spot where
Christ’s Last Supper took place. The Cenacle is Israeli property and the
Eucharist cannot usually be celebrated here. A visibly worn out Francis
underlined the importance of this site for the whole of Christianity
once again, during one of the final stages of his visit. In doing so, he
steered clear of the controversies that have clouded his trip over the
past few days and immediately gave thanks for “the great gift that the
Lord has given us by bringing us together here in the Upper Room for the
celebration of the Eucharist.”Before beginning his homily, Francis
spared a thought for the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs, whose presence the
Bishops of Rome “values very much”. “Thank you for taking part in these
moments, you are always in my prayers,” he added. It was as though he
wished to reaffirm the need for the Universal Church to breath with two
lungs: the Eastern one and the Western one. “Here the Church was born,
and was born to go forth,” the Pope said. “To go forth, to set out, does
not mean to forget,” because the Church preserves the memory of what
has happened. “The Upper Room speaks to us of service, of Jesus giving
the disciples an example by washing their feet. Washing one another’s
feet signifies welcoming, accepting, loving and serving one another. It
means serving the poor, the sick and the outcast.”The Cenacle is also
sacrifice, starting from the Eucharist. “In every Eucharistic
celebration Jesus offers himself for us to the Father, so that we too
can be united with him, offering to God our lives, our work, our joys
and our sorrows… offering everything as a spiritual sacrifice.” Only
this way can we become Jesus’ friends. “No longer do I call you servants
– Jesus said to the Twelve – but I have called you friends.” “The Lord
makes us his friends, he reveals God’s will to us and he gives us his
very self. This is the most beautiful part of being a Christian.” It is
an experience that also takes the inevitable separation into account.
“The Upper Room reminds us of the Teacher’s farewell and his promise to
return to his friends: “When I go… I will come again and will take you
to myself, that where I am you may be also.”But Francis warned against
pettiness and betrayal which would take place shortly after the Last
Supper in the Garden of Gethsemane. Referring to Christ’s Passion, he
reminded everyone that any one of us could be Judas, not just others.
When we look at others with arrogance, when we judge and when we betray
Jesus with our actions.Jesus celebrated the Jewish Easter in the Upper
Room on the tomb which according to tradition is King David’s. It
therefore “reminds us of sharing, fraternity, harmony and peace among
ourselves.” Everything in the place of the Pentecost has spread through
the world. Francis recalled “how much love and goodness has flowed
from the Upper Room! How much charity has gone forth from here, like a
river from its source, beginning as a stream and then expanding and
becoming a great torrent.”“Lastly, the Upper Room reminds us of the
birth of the new family, the Church, established by the risen Jesus; a
family that has a Mother, the Virgin Mary. Christian families belong to
this great family, and in it they find the light and strength to press
on and be renewed, amid the challenges and difficulties of life. All
God’s children, of every people and language, are invited and called to
be part of this great family, as brothers and sisters and sons and
daughters of the one Father in heaven. These horizons are opened up by
the Upper Room, the horizons of the Risen Lord and his Church,” the Pope
concluded his homily by saying.
05/25/2014 - VATICAN
INSIDER-Francis: “I’m open to discussing the Petrine Primacy”Pope
Francis and Bartholomew-Francis meets Patriarch Bartholomew at the Empty
Tomb and urges all Christian denominations to “walk together towards
the fullness of communion”-giacomo galeazzi
Jerusalem-Pope
Bergoglio expresses his desire to discuss the Petrine Primacy.
“Divisions remain between the churches, even after the first embrace
Christians continue to be persecuted, there is the ecumenicalism of
sufferance. Like the stone of the sepulchre, we must cast aside the
obstacles that stand between Christians.” Francis and Bartholomew
embraced in the same place that the historic embrace between Pope Paul
VI and Athenagoras I took place 50 years ago. After having lunch with
the poor in the “Casanova” house for pilgrims, Pope Francis met the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in the Apostolic Delegation of
Jerusalem.The secretary of state Pietro Parolin and the president of the
Pontifical Council for the promotion of the Unity of Christians,
Cardinal Kurt Koch, were also present at this important meeting. After
an exchange of gifts and a moment of private meeting, the Pope and the
Ecumenical Patriarch signed a Joint Statement. This gesture, they
announced, “is a new, necessary step on the path towards communion”. And
where “the embrace between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras after
centuries of silence laid the foundations for a gesture of
extraordinary virtue, the removal from memory and from the midst of the
church of the bill of excommunications of 1054”, the new embrace is
necessary to reaffirm – explained the two religious leaders – our
commitment to continuing to walk together towards unity”. “We long for
the day – declared the Pope and Patriarch together – in which we will
finally celebrate the Eucharist together”. “A common objective we strive
for, we will demonstrate the love of God before the world, and in this
way we will be recognised as true disciples of Jesus Christ.”At the
start of the ceremony, entering the Holy Sepulchre though different
entrances to the church, the two religious leaders embraced again for
the benefit of the photographers and TV journalists. Francis motions for
Bartholomew to enter the Holy Sepulchre before him. With affection,
they then took each other by the hand (as the Pope said to the Patriarch
in Italian “be careful not to slip on the stones”) and they passed
through the entrance to the Basilica together. Side by side, they then
venerated the Stone of the Anointing, bending down with bare heads to
kiss it (and Francis was then assisted by master of ceremonies Guido
Marini to stand back up). “Here I reiterate the hope already expressed
by my predecessors for a continued dialogue with all our brothers and
sisters in Christ, aimed at finding a means of exercising the specific
ministry of the Bishop of Rome which, in fidelity to his mission, can be
open to a new situation and can be, in the present context, a service
of love and of communion acknowledged by all”, announced Pope
Bergoglio.“We need to believe that, just as the stone before the tomb
was cast aside, so too every obstacle to our full communion will also be
removed. This will be a grace of resurrection, of which we can have a
foretaste even today”, stated Francis. “When Christians of different
confessions suffer together, side by side, and assist one another with
fraternal charity, there is born an ecumenism of suffering, an ecumenism
of blood, which proves particularly powerful not only for those
situations in which it occurs, but also, by virtue of the communion of
the saints, for the whole Church as well”. Speaking off the cuff, he
adds: “Those who kill Christians in hate of the faith do not ask
themselves whether they are killing Catholics or Orthodox Christians.
They kill and spill Christian blood.”Addressing Patriarch Bartholomew,
the Pope encouraged: “Your Holiness, beloved brother, dear brothers and
sisters all, let us put aside the misgivings we have inherited from the
past and open our hearts to the working of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
of love and of truth in order to hasten together towards that blessed
day when our full communion will be restored.” In fact “we cannot deny
the divisions which continue to exist among us, the disciples of Jesus:
this sacred place makes us even more painfully aware of how tragic they
are”. For Francis, then, “much distance still needs to be travelled
before we attain that fullness of communion which can also be expressed
by sharing the same Eucharistic table, something we ardently desire”.
“Yet our disagreements – urges the Pope - must not frighten us and
paralyze our progress. We need to believe that, just as the stone before
the tomb was cast aside, so too every obstacle to our full communion
will also be removed”. “This will be a grace of resurrection, of which
we can have a foretaste even today”. “Every time we ask forgiveness of
one another for our sins against other Christians and every time we find
the courage to grant and receive such forgiveness, we experience the
resurrection! Every time we put behind us our longstanding prejudices
and find the courage to build new fraternal relationships, we confess
that Christ is truly risen! Every time we reflect on the future of the
Church in the light of her vocation to unity, the dawn of Easter breaks
forth!”
05/26/2014 - VATICAN INSIDER-The reverse hand kiss, by a Pope who speaks with gestures
Francis
kisses Holocaust survivor Grynfeldat's hand-Andrea Tornielli’s
analysis: Closeness, fraternity and prayer for one another’s suffering,
this is what Francis communiocated during this trip to the Holy Land.
The “miracle” at the Holy Sepulchre-Andrea Tornielli
jerusalem-On
the third and last day of his pilgrimage commemorating Paul VI and
Patriarch Athenagoras’ meeting, Pope Francis has completed a very brief
but also very intense series of encounters in the Holy Land. Today’s key
moment was Francis’ visit to the Yad Vashem to commemorate the victims
of the Holocaust. Here. Francis showed natural humility, kissing the
hands of the survivors present. At one time, people were required to get
down on their knees and kiss one of Pope’s shoes. This then changed to a
kiss of his ring, as is the done thing with bishops. Still today the
personal meetings Pope Francis has with pilgrims at the end of the
General Audience, are called the “baciamano” or the hand-kiss.During the
course of this trip, Francis kissed the hand of the Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, but this gesture of affection
and profound respect, which Francis performed in St. Martha’s House with
some elderly priests, could be linked in some way to the sacrament of
the priesthood or the episcopate: it was customary to kiss priests’ and
bishops’ hands. The Pope made similar gesture to Queen Rania of Jordan
some months ago. A part from this, no one had ever seen a Pope stop,
bend over and kiss the hands of lay people, people with different life
stories, united only by the fact that they are Jews who survived that
“monstrous” “abyss of evil”, as Francis described it, that was the
Holocaust. “A great evil has befallen us, such as never happened under
the heavens.”This humble gesture reflects the image of a God who, in the
figure of Jesus, stooped down, erased himself and “made himself servant
despite being the Lord”, as Francis said about a month ago. The effect
of his simple and frank words, coupled with these gestures, has been
truly incredible. It has allowed Francis to be himself rig to the very
core, without too many diplomatic concerns.This morning, an unexpected
and very significant event took place; as important as the Pope’s prayer
before the cement wall that divides the West Bank from Israel: Francis
decided to stop at the stele that commemorates the victims of terrorism.
Here too he rested his hand on the monument. Here too, he prayed in
silence. More than an attempt to balance an imbalance that never
existed, this was a demonstration of his freedom, that he is truly a man
of peace who wants to share victim’s suffering. And lastly, it was an
act that could not be politically exploited by either parties.The Pope
did not speak about the wall or about walls. He touched them. He
embraced Jews and Muslims. He showed his closeness with his gestures.
The meeting with Shimon Peres at the presidential palace was not a
meeting between two heads of State, it was something more. We will have
to wait and see whether Francis’ “creative” and unexpected invitation to
hold a meeting of prayer in the Vatican with Peres and Abu Mazen – a
meeting which could not take place on this occasion in the Holy Land, as
Francis would have liked – will bear any fruits.But the real “miracle”
of Francis’ visit - which understandably overshadowed by his visit to
Bethlehem, the prayer at the separation wall and the announcement of the
summit – is what happened on Sunday evening at the Holy Sepulchre, or
rather, the Basilica of the “Anastasis”, of the Resurrection. Peter’s
successor, Francis, and Andrew’s successor, Bartholomew, met as real
brothers. It was not the outcome of theological dialogue or summits.
Once again, it was the result of courage and the temperament of two
people, determined to dare. Two people who would have been even more
daring but who are aware this could not be done due to internal
resistance within their respective Churches.“We have split and separated
in practice, so it is in practice that we must meet and unite once
more. This practice must be permeated by Christ’s love, the essence of
which was expressed by the Apostle Paul,” Athenagoras said. Seeing
Francis and Bartholomew walking along holding hands, holding onto each
other for support, kneeling down together in the most sacred of places
for Christian of all denominations, it was evident that for those two
successors of the apostles and sincere followers of Jesus Christ, unity
and full communion is not just based on the alchemy of theological
debate, but on a recognition – by both - of a common belonging.
THE POPES LAST DAY IN ISRAEL
Pray
for us, Netanyahu asks pope as papal visit ends-PM defends security
barrier to pontiff; pope at Yad Vashem calls Holocaust greatest evil in
history; makes unscheduled stop at memorial to terror victims, inserts
note in Western Wall-By Joshua Davidovich May 26, 2014, 7:43 am 13-The
Times Of Israel
A day after a politically charged
visit to Bethlehem that saw the pontiff pray at the security barrier and
appear with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Francis is spending his
last day in the region touring holy sites in Jerusalem and meeting
Israeli leaders. Follow the Times of Israel’s liveblog for all the
updates.
07:48
High-wire act for Francis-Pope Francis faces a
diplomatic high-wire act on Monday as he visits sacred Muslim and
Jewish sites in Jerusalem on the final day of his Middle East tour.The
pontiff is rounding off a whirlwind trip which saw him issue a unique
invitation to Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas to pray with him at the Vatican to end the
“increasingly unacceptable” Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as
snatching a personal moment at Israel’s controversial security
barrier.Francis had promised the three-day pilgrimage, which began on
Saturday in Jordan, would steer clear of political issues. But he
ad-libbed from his scripted speeches to condemn anti-Semitism, religious
intolerance and those behind conflicts in the Middle East.On Monday,
Jews and Muslims are expected to scrutinize the pope’s every word and
gesture as he seeks to bridge the religious divides in meetings with
leaders from both sides.The 77-year-old pontiff will meet the Grand
Mufti of Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, Islam’s third holiest site, and
the holiest in Judaism as the site of the Biblical temples.He will then
pray at the Western Wall before visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust
memorial museum, where he will speak with Holocaust survivors, and will
also become the first pope ever to lay flowers at Zionist visionary
Theodor Herzl’s grave on Mount Herzl.The pope will also celebrate mass
at the site known as the Cenacle, or Upper Room, bringing into sharp
focus a decades-long debate over the site where Christians believe Jesus
had his Last Supper.The site, on Mount Zion, is located in a two-story
building also considered holy to Jews and Muslims, who regard it as the
place where the biblical figure David was buried.On Sunday, Francis
celebrated mass in Bethlehem’s Manger Square amid thousands of cheering,
flag-waving Christians.He also made an unscheduled stop by the West
Bank security barrier, climbing out of his open jeep to pray, his
forehead and hand resting against the wall, in a powerful show of
support for the Palestinians.At the end of the open-air mass, the pope
weighed in on the Middle East conflict, inviting Abbas and Peres to join
him at the Vatican for a “heartfelt prayer” for peace.In the wake of
the latest breakdown in US-led peace talks, Francis called on leaders to
show “courage” to achieve a peace based on a two-state solution, saying
“building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant
torment.”A senior Palestinian official confirmed Abbas had accepted and
would visit the Vatican on June 6, while Peres’s spokesman said only
that the invitation was welcomed.In a boost for relations between
bickering Christians, Francis joined Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I in
an historic joint prayer for unity between Rome and Constantinople.The
pair met, embraced and kissed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inside
the walled Old City to mark the historic meeting 50 years ago between
Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras — the first easing of tensions
between the Churches since the Great Schism in the 11th century.Francis
has said the main reason for Middle East visit was the meeting with
Bartholomew I, and “to pray for peace in that land, which has suffered
so much.” (AFP/Times of Israel staff)
08:01
Roads closed around
Old City-With Pope Francis jaunting around town Monday, most
Jerusalemites are gearing up for wide-ranging traffic delays across the
capital.The pope famously prefers an unarmored popemobile, meaning
security officials, unwilling to take chances, plan on closing several
roads around his route as he goes from the Old City to Mount Herzl and
then to meetings with leaders before heading back to Mount Zion.In the
morning, most police closures will center around approaches to the Old
City as Francis makes the short commute between his Latin Patriarchate
suite and the holy esplanade of the Temple Mount and the Western
Wall.For now, police say closed roads are: Ben Adiyah, Rockefeller
Square, Jericho Way and Mota Gur Ascent.
08:10
Francis visits
Dome of the Rock-Flanked by a large phalanx of men in suits, Francis
arrives on the Temple Mount, where he is being taken on a tour by the
grand mufti of Jerusalem.Francis enters the Dome of the Rock, at the
heart of a site revered by Jews as the location of the first and second
Temples as well as the Foundation Stone of the earth, and by Muslims as
the site where the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.
08:16
Shoes
back on, Francis heads across Temple Mount-Upon leaving the Dome of the
Rock, Pope Francis puts his shoes back on, getting a special chair to
do so.He then slowly makes his way across the Temple Mount plaza,
stopping to shake hands with Muslim leaders, amid a constant cacophony
of camera clicks.
08:29
Mufti: Peace must be based on mutual
respect-The grand mufti, Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, speaks to Pope Francis,
explaining the importance of the sites for Muslims, who believe it is
where Mohammed ascended to heaven.The mufti adds that peace in the
region will only happen when there is mutual respect between the sides.
08:37
Francis:
Nobody may abuse God’s name through violence-Pope Francis addresses the
Muslims on the Mount, making a heartfelt plea to “all communities who
look to Abraham” for respect and understanding.“May no one abuse the
name of God through violence, may we work together for justice and
peace,” he says.He thanks the leaders for their warm welcome, and says
the Dome of the Rock reminds the three great faiths, Christianity, Islam
and Judaism, of what they have in common, including monotheism, a large
following and a rich history.He finishes with “Salaam.”
08:43
Francis
heads to Western Wall-The pontiff now shares a final word with the
mufti and other Muslim leaders before entering a Subaru and making the
short journey from the Temple Mount to the Western Wall below.Officials
took the rare measure of clearing the Western Wall plaza for security,
meaning the pope will not be accosted by anyone trying to sell him red
string.
08:57
Francis walks to the Western Wall-Francis arrives
at the Western Wall, being greeted by wall Rabbi Shmuel
Rabinovitch.After exchanging a few words, the two walk slowly down the
ramp to the wall, where Francis will bow his head in prayer.
09:01
Pope
shown model of Temple Mount-Before making it to the wall, Francis is
given a short historical briefing on the site, from Solomon’s temple to
Herod’s renovation of the Second Temple, which gave Jews the Western
Wall, part of the the retaining wall for the site.The pope is shown a
3-D model of the site, while told in English about the history of the
site and where he is standing.
09:08
Rabbi emphasizes Jewish hold
on Jerusalem-Shmuel Rabinovitch speaks to the pope, mentioning the
temple’s menorah, or candelabra, looted by the Romans 2,000 years ago
and thought to have been taken to the Italian capital.Rabinovitch says
the Jewish people are standing strong in Israel after the Holocaust, and
emphasizes the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, quoting Jeremiah and
Psalms.He requests that all believers abandon hate and anti-Semitism,
noting the deadly attack on a Jewish museum in Brussels on Saturday.
09:12
Pope
puts note in Western Wall-Francis takes a note and reads it before
putting it in the Western Wall and taking a minute to pray in front of
the holy site, bowing his head and touching the ancient stones.He then
hugs Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Muslim leader Omar Abboud, who are
accompanying him on his trip.
09:22
Pope signs guest book, heads
to Yad Vashem-After an exchange of gifts (the pope gets a book, Israel
gets an ancient map), Francis signs the Western Wall guestbook with a
lengthy entry, telling the Wall rabbi that he wrote of his joy at
visiting the site.From here, the papal delegation is moving to Mount
Herzl for a visit to Theodor Herzl’s grave and then they’re off on a
highly touted trip to the Holocaust memorial at Yad Vashem.At the site,
Francis will meet President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and other leaders.While there, the pope will “rekindle the
eternal flame,” lay a wreath and meet with six Holocaust survivors.He
will also give an address where he is expected to condemn anti-Semitism.
09:35
Israel
marks papal visit with stamps-The Israel Philatelic Service today
publishes a stamp sheet in honor of the pope’s visit in Jerusalem. The
sheet contains 12 postage stamps showing a local beach with the word
“Israel” written in the sand, and 12 images of important Christian Holy
sites in the Holy Land, such as the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre.“Israel’s stamps are a diverse gallery of events and
personalities, crossing seas and continents and act as bridge between
cultures,” says Israel Philatelic Service director Yaron Razon.Once the
pontiff concludes his visit, the service will issue another special
sheet with stamps featuring “exclusive pictures,” the Israel Postal
Company announced.
09:40
‘Every Jerusalemite’s dream’-As Francis
makes his way across the capital to Mount Herzl on its western edge,
helicopters can be heard buzzing overhead.The pope’s large motorcade
glides unimpeded through empty streets across the notoriously clogged
city, a picture of what one Israeli TV commentator calls “every
Jerusalemite’s dream.”
09:42
Visit to Herzl’s grave a ‘nod to
Zionism’-Francis’s visit to Herzl’s grave for a wreath laying will be
fairly short, but many see it as having a wide significance in giving
papal support for Zionism.Speaking in Jerusalem last week, Abraham
Skorka noted that Francis’s visit to Mount Herzl and Herzl’s grave could
be understood as a nod to Zionism. “That is a meaningful act,” Skorka
said. “He understands the importance of the Land of Israel and the State
of Israel to the Jewish people.”The two last popes who visited Israel —
John Paul II in 2000 and Benedict XVI in 2009 — did not visit Herzl’s
grave. (The first pope to visit, Paul VI in 1964, steadfastly refused to
acknowledge that he was even in Israel.)
The visit may also act as a counterbalance to his support Sunday for the “State of Palestine.”
09:51
Pope
to make unplanned visit to terror victims’ memorial-Francis, flanked by
Peres and Netanyahu, lays a wreath at Herzl’s grave and marks a moment
of silence at the site.He had originally been planned to be whisked away
to nearby Yad Vashem right after, but while at the Mount Herzl military
cemetery, Francis will apparently make an unscheduled stop at a
monument for terror victims, at the request of Netanyahu.
09:57
Visit
to terror memorial counterbalance to wall stop?-The visit to the terror
victims’ memorial, at Netanyahu’s request, could be seen as a response
to the pope’s unplanned visit to the security barrier in Bethlehem on
Sunday.The stop at the barrier became a highlight of the pope’s trip and
was seen a major PR coup for Palestinian efforts to highlight Israeli
repression.The memorial is nearby on Mount Herzl, and so will not throw
off the trip’s very tight scheduling by much.
10:07
Pope visits
terror memorial with Peres, Netanyahu-The pope is spending several
minutes at the terror victims memorial, standing next to Peres and
Netanyahu and surrounded by security and press.The site was inaugurated
in 1998 and commemorates victims of terror attacks since 1851 on 78
tablets.
10:17
Last pope’s speech at Yad Vashem ill-received-The
pope is making the short jump to Yad Vashem, marking the most emotional
part of the visit, at least for Jews closely following it.The last visit
by a pope to the site, Benedict’s visit in 2009, drew some ire after
the pontiff, who was a member of the Hitler Youth, was accused of
issuing a “lukewarm” condemnation of anti-Semitism, according to a
Haaretz report at the time.Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, the chairman of Yad
Vashem and father of Chief Rabbi David Lau, who will meet Francis after
the Yad Vashem visit, said Benedict’s speech refused to acknowledge the
enormity of the Holocaust.“There’s a dramatic difference between killed
and murdered, especially when a speech has gone through so many hands,”
Lau told the paper at the time.The speech “didn’t have a single word of
condolence, compassion or sharing the pain of the Jewish people as such.
There was a lot about the pain of humanity, cosmopolitan words,” he
added, noting that he used “millions” and not “six million.”
10:24
Pope
enters Yad Vashem-The pope enters Yad Vashem with his sizable
delegation, including its heads Yisrael Meir Lau and Avner Shalev.
10:29
Choir
sings Hannah Szenes poem-The Ankor girls choir stands in the hall,
solemnly singing a poem by Hannah Szenes, a Hungarian girl who escaped
Budapest for Israel, then returned to Europe to rescue Jews before she
was captured and killed.The haunting music gives the ceremony an
otherworldly feel.The choir was also on hand in 2009 for pope Benedict’s
visit to Yad Vashem.
10:31
Francis lays wreath-Pope Francis places a wreath at Yad Vashem, pausing for a moment to remember the victims of the Shoah.
10:41
Pope
meets survivors-After hearing the solemn prayer of El Maleh Rahamim,
traditionally said over the dead, Pope Francis kisses hands with six
survivors: Avraham Harshalom, Chava Shik, Joseph Gottdenker, Moshe
Ha-Elion, Eliezer Grynfeld, and Sonia Tunik-Geron.The life stories of
the six were published by Yad Vashem, each special in its own way, yet
tragically typical of all of Europe’s Jews who lived through the
Holocaust.
10:45
‘Adam where are you?’-Pope Francis ascends to
the podium and stands silently for several moments before beginning his
speech.“Adam, where are you, where are you, old man?” he begins, quoting
Genesis.“In this memorial of the Shoah we hear this question once
again,” he says.
10:48
‘Never again, Lord’-The pope asks a series
of questions of his fellow humans, who caused such tragedy.“Who
corrupted you, who disfigured you, who led you to believe you are the
master of good and evil? Not only did you torture your brothers and
sisters but you sacrificed them to yourself, because you made yourself a
God.”“Once again in this place we hear this voice of God. Adam, where
are you?”“A great evil has befallen us, as such that has never
occurred,” he says.“Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what men have
done, to be ashamed of this massive idolatry.”“Never again, Lord, never
again,” he concludes.
11:04
Pope presented with painting from
Shoah victim-The pope takes several moments after his address, standing
at the podium before stepping down and being presented with a replica of
the painting “Prayer,” drawn by Holocaust victim Abramek Koplowicz when
he was 13.The choir then sings the Psalm “Mi Ha’ish” before the pope
and his delegation leave.
11:09
Netanyahu tells pope security
fence prevents terror-Netanyahu releases a statement thanking the pope
for visiting the terror victims’ memorial at Mount Herzl.“I explained to
the pope that the security fence prevented many more victims that
Palestinian terror, which continues today, planned to harm,” Netanyahu
says, referring to Sunday’s papal pause at the security barrier at
Bethlehem.The statement essentially confirms the suspicion that the stop
at the memorial was intended as a response to Francis’s visit to the
wall in Bethlehem, during which he offered a silent prayer.The pope had
said the trip would steer clear of politics, but it seems he has quickly
found himself at the center of a tugging match between Israel and the
Palestinians.
11:17
Pope heads to meeting with chief rabbis-After
leaving Yad Vashem the pope will now venture into the heart of west
Jerusalem for visits to Heichal Shlomo with the country’s two chief
rabbis, Ashkenazi rabbi David Lau and Sephardi rabbi Yitzhak Yosef.The
pope will deliver a speech there before a visit to the President’s
Residence where he will speak with Shimon Peres.
11:21
Rabbis
greet Francis with thanks-Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef thanks the pope for
speaking against anti-Semitism and welcomes him to Jerusalem.Turning to
his right, the other chief rabbi, David Lau, tells Francis that
Jerusalem has meaning for the three major monotheistic religions and
says he hopes they can give peace to the world.
11:26
Francis
given book on Vatican-Jewish ties-Pope Francis is presented with a book
about Vatican-Jewish relations.The group is then introduced to the
various dignitaries in the audience.
11:29
A way to watch the
pope’s visit-While our liveblog offers up-to-the-minute coverage of Pope
Francis’s visit, those who want a more live experience can tune into
the Vatican news site’s video feed, which is following all the goings-on
complete with English translations.
11:32
Pope calls terror
‘absolute evil’-Lior Haiat, a diplomatic official organizing the pope’s
visit, says Francis strongly condemned terror while at the terror
victims’ memorial.“Terror is absolute evil. It comes from evil and
causes evil,” he quotes the pope saying. “Never again. Never again.”
11:45
Yosef
thanks pope for stance against anti-Semitism-Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef
gives the first speech, zeroing in on the Ten Commandments and noting
that the first five deal with relations between man and God and the
second five, between man and man.“It’s impossible to separate between
man and God and man and his fellow,” Yosef says.Yosef then tells a
Talmudic parable about a donkey and a gem with the moral that man must
not be selfish, but share what he has.“We believe there is a place for
God, but also our fellow,” he says.Bringing up Saturday’s Belgium museum
shooting attack, he then thanks the pope for speaking out against
anti-Semitism and says the church can help bring peace, “a real peace.”
11:50
Lau:
Bolster Israel, where there is freedom of religion-Chief Rabbi David
Lau speaks next, saying he wants to focus on the importance of
life.“Even our most important commandments are pushed off if there is a
life-and-death danger.”Lau says a few meters from here, people — women,
children, babies — were killed. People from all religions took care of
the wounded, he adds, without regard for religious.He calls on the pope
to convene an interfaith peace conference in Jerusalem, saying that
there is freedom of religion in all areas under Israeli
control.“Strengthen Israel, strengthen the Jews against hate and
anti-Semtism,” Lau urges the pope.
11:58
Pope calls for spiritual
Jewish-Christian ties-Now the pope stands up to speak, saying he’s been
able to count on Jewish organizations for support since his ascent to
the papacy.“I’m convinced that the progress that has been made in recent
decades between Jews and Catholics has been a genuine gift from God,”
he says.He also notes the growing dialogue between the Chief Rabbi and
the Vatican’s department for relations with the Jews, saying it is
reaching its bar mitzvah and has a bright future.He then calls for the
bond to be investigated not just from a human angle but also
spiritual.“On the part of Catholics there is a sincere desire to reflect
on the Jewish roots of our own faith,” he says. “I trust with your help
among Jews too there will be a genuine interest in Christianity.”
“Together we can make a great contribution to the cause of peace,” he says.
12:06
Pope
to meet Peres, sick kids-After meeting the chief rabbis, the pope will
now leave for a meeting with President Shimon Peres at his residence in
the leafy Rehavia suburb.While there, the two will hold a private
meeting with Israeli and Vatican officials.They will also give public
remarks at a ceremony at the residence.The pope will also meet with a
group of sick Christian-Arab children whose wish to meet the pope is
being made possible through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.A group of
students from a Catholic high school in Haifa are also on hand for the
stop, along with a large gaggle of press.The room where Peres and the
pope will meet. On the left is a mosaic made by Galilee children which
will be presented to Francis. (photo credit: Haviv Rettig Gur / Times of
Israel)
The room where Peres and the pope will meet. On the right is
a mosaic made by Galilee children which will be presented to Francis.
(photo credit: Haviv Rettig Gur/Times of Israel)
12:11
Francis’s
‘kind eyes’-Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett posts a picture
of himself on Facebook, writing that he told the pope that he sees the
State of Israel as the realization of the biblical prophetic
visions.Plus, he writes, he noted that Francis had “kind eyes.”
12:16
Francis
in Peres’s house-After a quick trip, the pope arrives at the
President’s Residence, where he is greeted by Peres and taken to see the
group of sick children, who kiss his hands before he moves on.He is
then taken to sign the guestbook, sitting as camera flashes pop amid a
large media presence.
12:24
Peres and Francis exchange
gifts-Peres sits with Francis, before the two quickly get up to inspect
the mosaic, which shows an olive tree and doves for peace, as well as a
fish, to represent Jesus.
Francis gives Peres a medallion
representing the visit of Pope Paul VI, 50 years ago in 1964, which this
trip commemorates.“I thank you for your message of peace,” the pope
tells Peres. “I feel very blessed.”Peres thanks the pope, and the
journalists, who are studiously watching every move of theirs.
12:36
Pope
has ‘good feeling’ with Peres-Pope and Peres are now holding their
private meeting before making public remarks at ceremony outside.On
Sunday, Francis invited Peres and Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas to visit the Vatican to pray for peace, and both accepted.
Officials
say the meeting will take place on June 6.A Vatican spokesperson told
reporters the invite to Peres and not Netanyahu was not a slight, but a
sign of the close friendship between the pontiff and the president.“The
pope has with President Peres a good feeling, this is clear,” the
spokesperson said, according to The New York Times. “This is not an
exclusion of the other, but there are good premises to pray together
with President Peres and Mahmoud Abbas.”
12:56
Peres, Francis
symbolically plant tree-After about a 15-minute meeting, Peres and the
pope enter the sunlight for the public ceremony.Before going on stage,
the two stop next to an olive tree to symbolically plant it while
strolling through the residence gardens.Interestingly, though Francis is
about 15 years younger than Peres, it seems the Israeli president is
the one helping him down the stairs and not vice versa.
13:04
Peres
calls pope ‘combatant against anti-Semitism’-“You have come to
Jerusalem which radiates faith and understands suffering. The humility
in your nature and the power in your spirit raised a spiritual elation
and a thirst for peace,” Peres tells the pope in prepared
remarks.“Today, you are greeted here by a distinguished and diverse
representation of Israeli society. A society in which freedom of speech,
the right to express oneself and the respect of holy sites are
cornerstone values.”
Peres then calls Francis a “combatant against discrimination, anti-Semitism and racism.”
13:05
Peres:
Bloodshed calls for soul-searching-Without naming names, Peres lashes
out at “the blood that is shed in city squares, and in the thick of
villages.”“No one can stand the growing number of widows, orphans,
refugees that run with nowhere to go, and foodless. Grief and
bereavement calls for true soul-searching, everywhere and at all time.”
13:06
‘Moral
ethics and science can solve poverty and violence’-“Your visit, Your
Holiness, is a moving event with the power to motivate the religious
leaders into joining forces to enable moral ethics and scientific
innovations to enable each person to free themselves from despair,
poverty and violence,” Peres continues.“Faith and science have the power
to reveal the hidden strengths within people, the treasures of the
land, and the innovation stemming from research centers.”
13:07
Peres:
Spiritual leaders must take stand against terror-Peres than calls for a
world without fear, free of terror.“Those who plant the seeds of evil
today are the terror organizations. … They have no pity and spread
destruction. … We must stand together to prevent the menace on the lives
of people and on world peace,” he says.“In the face of moral corruption
we must show moral responsibility. And make clear that there is no
greater contradiction than that between faith and murder,” Peres
continues. “I appeal to all the religious and spiritual leaders of our
time: Make your voices clearly heard. With a distinct message. It is our
duty that our children, the children of the world, regardless of
religion or nationality, may live without fear and grow up in a world
free of slaughter, a world which allows each person to live as a human
being.”
13:09
People are ready for peace, Peres says-The
president tells the pope that his visit is important for regional
peace.“I believe that your visit and call for peace will echo through
the region and contribute to revitalizing the efforts to complete the
peace process between us and the Palestinians, based on two states
living in peace. A Jewish state — Israel. And an Arab state —
Palestine,” he says.“This solution can be reached by mutual agreement. I
believe that the citizens of the region want peace. They pray for
peace. They are ready for peace with their neighbors and with all the
nations of our region.”
13:11
Peres: I will pray that we work
together to end strife-Peres responds to an invitation from the pope to
visit the Vatican with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to pray for
peace.“Your visit to the Holy Land is an important opportunity for a
joint prayer to God in Heaven for peace. We would be honored to offer
such a prayer either in our home or yours. In accordance with your kind
offer,” he says.“A prayer that children will grow without danger to
their lives. That a mother will bear her child without hearing a siren.
That every man will sit under his vine or his fig tree untroubled. We
will work together, Jews, Christians and Muslims to bring an end to the
conflicts.”“Economic prosperity and social justice for all. I believe
that peace is the key to bringing about these changes.”
13:13
‘Israel
born in innocence’-Peres tells Francis that Israel is open to all
pilgrims and was “born in innocence.”“We are a small nation but with the
world. A nation dedicated to tikkun olam – bettering the world. A world
which you call ‘a world of brotherhood.’”He finishes with a call to not
give up on peace.“I was young and now I am old. I learned that dreams
do not age and I recommend to all act accordingly,” he says.“You walked
in pilgrimage and you paved a road.”
13:15
‘Long live the
pope’-The pope now rises to speak, to raucous applause, at least by
President’s Residence standards, and cheers of “long live the pope.”
13:18
Dignity
leads to peace-Francis makes a call for protection to be given to holy
sites, with their statuses maintained and also safeguarded for the
future.“How good it is when pilgrims and residence enjoy free access to
holy places,” he says.“You are known as a man of peace and a
peacemaker,” he tells Peres, calling for dignity of every person.That
dignity, he says, can bring peace. He calls for all sides to continue to
work for peace.
13:21
Francis: Christians in Israel want to be
full-fledged citizens-Francis speaks out against discrimination, terror
and anti-Semitism. Says Israeli Christians live in Israel and wish to
contribute as “full fledged citizens who reject terrorism in all its
forms.”Pope says guaranteeing freedom for all religious groups is
important to the health of the state.“I assure you of my constant prayer
for the attainment of peace, and all the inestimable goods that
accompany it.”
13:22
‘Peace be upon Israel’-Francis ends his
speech with a call for “peace upon Israel.”The choir then again kicks
into gear again, this time joined with Israeli singer David D’or with a
song about peace.
13:27
Francis in Yad Vashem guestbook: Never
again!!-The text of the pope’s entry into the Yad Vashem guest book,
written in Spanish, follows the same theme as his speech there, noting
the depths to which man can sink and calling for “never again.”“With
shame for what man, who was created in the image of God, was able to do;
with shame for the fact that man made himself the owner of evil; with
shame that man made himself into God and sacrificed his brothers. Never
again!! Never again!!”
13:29
The pope’s note in the Western
Wall-Here is a picture of the pope before he inserted his note into the
Western Wall, apparently captured by a very well-placed camera. Can
anybody make out what the note says?
13:36
Simple fare planned
at lunch with Netanyahu-After the songs, Francis makes his way out of
the President’s Residence. He will now head back toward the Old City,
where he will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Notre Dame
Center and have lunch.We don’t know what is on the menu, but as we
reported last month, it will likely include simple fare: soups, rice and
water rather than wine or spirits, at the Vatican’s request.“Of course,
he’s Argentinian, so look for good, good meat,” Father Juan MarÃa
Solana, L.C., chargé of The Holy See at the Notre Dame center, said in
late April. “We would like to offer the Holy Father the best we can,
because he is our leader and our superior, and we love him very much —
because he is the pope, and because he is Francis.”
13:55
Christians
kept from Jerusalem conference-Should the pope check his tablet on the
way to lunch, he may be unhappy to learn that some 20 Middle Eastern
Christians on their way to a conference in Jerusalem were recently
denied entry into Israel, as Mitch Ginsburg reports.The Crossroads
Conference 2014, run by Vicar David Pileggi, the head of Christ Church
Jerusalem, was to host 100 Christians from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq (the
Kurdish areas), along with several Armenians and Iranian refugees. The
“Vicar of Baghdad,” Canon Andrew White, was the guest of honor.The
participants, including two Kurdish parliamentarians who had been
granted permission to travel to Israel by the Kurdish Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani, one Coptic lawyer and several church leaders, were to
take part in a conference that sought to “try and advance greater
Christian presence in Muslim lands” and to “encourage them to get out of
their ghettos,” Pileggi told The Times of Israel in a phone interview.
Despite
40 visa applications being submitted, only 20 people were allowed in,
with an Israeli academic telling Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar the
procedure was random.
14:03
PM to pope: I hope neighbors will
heed call for tolerance-Pope Francis meets with Benjamin Netanyahu at
the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem.Speaking through a translator
Netanyahu says he hopes the pope’s call for tolerance and against
anti-Semitism will be accepted by Israel’s neighbors.
If the terror
stopped, we wouldn’t need the security barrier, he tells the pope. If
our neighbors accepted the Jewish people’s right to its state, there
would be peace at least in this part of the world.
He then presents Francis with a painting before the media is ushered out.
14:47
Christians
unprotected in Bethlehem, Netanyahu warns pope-While speaking with Pope
Francis, Netanyahu also said the Middle East had become a place where
Christians were not safe.Netanyahu singled out Bethlehem, where Francis
visited on Sunday, as a place where Christians were not protected.As
Time magazine noted Sunday, the pope’s stops in Bethlehem and Amman
belied the shrinking role for Christians in the region.In Amman, Francis
held mass in front a half-empty stadium, and in Bethlehem most of the
9,000 people attending the service at the Church of the Nativity were
foreigners, according to the magazine.The city, revered as the
birthplace of Jesus, is today only about 15 percent Christian, down
from a majority just 50 years ago. Some blame Israel for the exodus,
while others point to harassment from West Bank Muslims.A recent Pew
study backs up Netanyahu’s claims. The survey found that Christians
faced discrimination in more countries in the Middle East and North
Africa than any other region in the world.Francis himself has spoken out
against discrimination of Christians in the Middle East, telling a
group of church officials from Syria Iran and Iraq in 2013 that he was
concerned about “the situation of Christians, who suffer in a
particularly severe way the consequences of tensions and conflicts in
many parts of the Middle East.”
15:02
Pope to focus on Holy Land
Christians for next few hours-After a whirlwind morning of visiting
Jerusalem sites and speaking with Israeli leaders, Francis will spend
his last half-day in the region concentrated on his own house, starting
with a meeting with Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I on Mount
Zion.From there, here will meet with priests and seminarians at the
Garden of Gethsemane before heading to Mount Zion.There he will hold a
service in the Cenacle, or Upper Room, where Jesus is believed to have
held the Last Supper.The Cenacle visit has the highest potential to
raise hackles. Jewish activists have protested the visit to the site,
which sits above a tomb believed to belong to King David, as a sign of
Church plans for control of the spot.While Israel is in negotiations
with the Vatican over increased access, officials have insisted they
will not damage the status quo by giving it over to the church.From
Mount Zion, Francis will go to Mount Scopus, where he will board a
helicopter for the airport. A ceremony is planned before he takes off
back for Rome.
15:12
Brussels coverage trumps pope in Hebrew
media-While Francis’s visit is certainly big news, it is overshadowed in
the Hebrew print press Monday by an investigation into a Saturday
shooting at a Jewish museum in Brussels, which left four people dead,
Marissa Newman reports.While the papers concede that the ongoing Belgian
investigation of the deadly shooting spree and the video footage
released to the public on Sunday yield more questions than answers, they
nonetheless dedicate much of their coverage to the ever-thickening
plot.Only Haaretz leads with the papal visit, providing a blow-by-blow
account of the pope’s itinerary on Sunday, and his upcoming stops on
Monday.In an op-ed for the paper titled “A Palestinian Victory,” Jack
Khoury cites the pope’s decision to pray near the security barrier, and
fly from Bethlehem to Ben Gurion Airport, as testament to his
recognition and support of the Palestinian cause.“The wide-ranging
international coverage that accompanied the visit offered a great
opportunity for PA spokesmen to get their message across precisely now,
at the moment of crisis in the diplomatic process. But more than that,
there is no doubt that the pope offered a tailwind to the Palestinians
to their public relations campaign they’ve been advancing in past
months,” he writes.
15:22
At terror memorial, Netanyahu defends
security barrier-The Prime Minister’s Office released a short video of
Pope Francis’s visit to the terror victim’s memorial on Mount Herzl
earlier today.In it, Netanyahu tells the pope the story of a classmate
of one of his sons, a girl blown up “because there was no fence, no
wall.”The pope then solemnly speaks out strongly against terrorism.“Our
people understand the way of terrorism doesn’t help. The path of
terrorism is fundamentally criminal,” he says before noting that he
prays for all terror victims.“Please no terrorism anymore,” he says.
Netanyahu
then tells him that Israel wants peace.“We have to build a wall against
those who teach [violence],” he says, adding that if there was no
incitement the walls could come down and “there would be peace.”An
official said Netanyahu’s focus on the wall was intended to add context
to the pope’s prayer a day earlier at the Bethlehem security barrier, an
unplanned stop which was seen as a major PR coup for Palestinians.
15:52
Finding
jokes amid the solemnity-The pope’s visit, including visits to some of
the most politically and religiously tense sites in the world, has been
marked by solemn speeches and odes to peace and cooperation, not exactly
stand-up material.But several people watching the pope’s visit have
found in it nuggets of comedy.
16:07
How the pope wound up at the
terror victims’ memorial-Raphael Ahren has the backstory behind the
pope’s visit to the terror victims’ memorial on Mount Herzl Monday
morning.According to his report, Israeli officials saw Francis’s stop at
the separation barrier in Bethlehem on Sunday as a carefully planned PR
stunt by Palestinians, and decided they needed to respond.After some
brainstorming, it was Rami Hatan, the director of the Foreign Ministry’s
World Religions department, who came up with the idea: Why not ask the
pope to visit the memorial for the victims of terrorism, to show him and
the entire world why we built the wall in Bethlehem? “The Vatican
officials explained to us that the pope didn’t pray against the
separation barrier, but he prayed against the situation that forces such
a wall to be built,” diplomat Lior Haiat said. “Therefore, we thought
we need to show him why we built the wall. It’s obvious that the barrier
is a result of something, it is not the reason.”After Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu approved the idea, the Foreign Ministry staff
approached the Vatican official in charge of protocol, who immediately
agreed.
16:19
Pope greeted at Gethsemane with cheers-As bells
peal, Pope Francis arrives at the Church of Gethsemane for a homily with
priests and Catholic seminarians.He enters the church to massive
applause, ululating and fanfare as penitents reach out to touch the
pope.The event is running some 15 minutes late, and many of the people
have been waiting for several hours for the pope to arrive.
16:31
Pope
prays at Gethsemane-Francis kneels before an altar in prayer before
being helped to his feet (and losing his zuchetto, or head covering) and
being seated.The Church of All Nations is built next to the garden
where Jesus is said to have visited the night before his Crucifixion, at
the foot of the Mount of Olives.The site today holds an olive grove
(Gethsemane or Gat Shemanim, which means oil press in Hebrew), a grotto
venerated as holy, and the Church of All Nations, with a colorful mural
on its front identifiable from far away.
16:38
Francis recalls
agony of Jesus at church-The pope now gets up to speak at the church,
remarking that Jesus was at the spot they stand at now.In a nod to the
audience, the speech is most of all religious in nature, not touching on
current events.“We dread to approach what Jesus went through at that
hour,” he says recalling the agony of the crucifixion.He then begins
urging Christians not to escape a call to action, like those who
abandoned Jesus did.
16:47
Remain strong despite hardships, pope
tells J’lem Christians-Francis concludes his remarks with a nod to
hardships faced by the area’s Christians, urging them to stay strong.“I
salute and greet all the Christians of Jerusalem, well aware of their
difficulties,” the pope says.“Let us imitate the Virgin Mary and St.
John and stand by all those crosses where Jesus continues to be
crucified,” he says.
16:50
Cheers, and Francis leaves-Cheering
and music once again as Francis leaves the church. He will next travel
to Mount Zion, where he will hold a mass at the Cenacle.
16:58
Pope
plants ‘Palestinian tree’ at Garden of Gethsemane-Francis walks to
Garden of Gethsemane, where he plants an olive tree, echoing a similar
act by his predecessor Paul VI in 1964.The tree planted by Paul has
become a pilgrimage site for Christians.“This tree is a symbol of peace,
and we all hope that the pontiff’s visit will bring forth the fruit of
peace,” Fr. José Benito Choque, a Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy
Land who is responsible for the sanctuary, said according to
Terrasanta.net. “The tree that the pope will plant is a gift from the
churches of the Holy Land. It is a Palestinian tree.”After planting the
tree, Francis gets into his car for the short drive to Mount Zion.
17:16
PM’s
bid to throw cold water on security wall visit-As Francis’s trip to
Israel winds down, Israeli media is noting that his meeting with
Netanyahu at the Notre Dame Center just after noon seems to have become
the trip’s keystone, at least from official Israel’s perspective.At that
meeting, Netanyahu explained Israel’s need for the security barrier,
trying to pour cold water on Francis’s visit to the wall in Bethlehem a
day earlier.“When incitement and terror against Israel stops, there
won’t be the need for the security fence, which has saved thousands of
lives,” Netanyahu told the pope during the meeting.“We hope that your
call for tolerance and coexistence and an end for incitement,
anti-Semitism and terror, will be accepted,” he said.Netanyahu also said
that Israel’s Christian population has quadrupled since the country’s
founding in 1948 and lauded Israel’s treatment of its Christian
population.“We guard the rights of Christians in Israel. That
unfortunately does not exist in many places in the Middle East. Even
Bethlehem, where your holiness visited, Jesus’ birthplace, has become… a
Muslim city,” Netanyahu said.Hana Bendcowsky, an expert in
Jewish-Christian relations, said Netanyahu’s figures were somewhat
misleading. She said the Christian population’s growth is mostly due to
Israel’s granting residency to about 10,000 Palestinian Christians when
it captured East Jerusalem in 1967, and some 30,000 Christians who
immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union because of Jewish
family ties. These Soviet immigrants have generally been absorbed into
the Jewish majority.
17:24
Francis holds mass on Mount Zion-Pope
Francis is now at the Cenacle, or upper room, on Mount Zion, holding
mass.Before reading the liturgy, Francis walks a censer filled with
incense around the room, believed to be the site of the Last Supper.
17:36
Mass
site at center of tensions-The pope has donned his iconic hat for the
occasion of the mass, an intimate affair that has the potential to
become a flashpoint of Vatican-Jewish tensions.The room is not often
used for Christian rites, in a bid by Israel to keep the delicate status
quo of the site.The church is talks with Israel for increased rights to
hold services there, but some ultra-Orthodox and Jewish nationalists
have lobbied against any changes to the site, which is also said to hold
the tomb of King David.Israeli and Vatican officials have insisted that
talks are not over ceding the building to the church, but rumors to
that effect have persisted, further exacerbating tensions.Ahead of the
pope’s visit, police issued orders against a number of Jewish
ultra-nationalists to stay away from parts of Jerusalem, in a bid to
keep them from disturbing the pope’s visit.
17:48
Francis speaks
of importance of Upper Room-Francis begins his homily to the small crowd
of clerics, speaking of the importance of the Upper Room.-“All the
saints drew from this source,” he says.He then speaks about the openness
of the “new family” of Christianity.“From here the church goes forth,
compelled by the life giving spirit,” he concludes.
18:05
Peres
to meet with Eastern church leader Bartholomew I-The pope may get the
headlines, but he’s not the only Christian bigwig in town. Bartholomew
I, the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church who resides in Istanbul, is
also in Jerusalem, where he met with Francis in Sunday.Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, center, prays at the Church
of the Nativity, believed to be the birth place of Jesus Christ, on May
24, 2014 in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (photo credit: AFP/ MUSA AL
SHAER) On Monday morning, Bartholomew will powwow with President Shimon
Peres. The two will discuss the importance of ties between Israel and
the Orthodox church and expanding ties between Israel and the Greek
Orthodox Church, according to a statement from the President’s
Residence.
18:26
Scuffle between police, Christians caught on
tape-Security around the pope’s visit has been notoriously tight in
Jerusalem, but problems haven’t only centered around traffic.A video,
posted online by Palestinian outlet Ehna TV Monday, shows a group of
people waving Vatican flags outside the Old City clashing with police,
who are working to close the road.The TV station claims the incident
took place Monday afternoon, but police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld tells
The Times of Israel that the only incident of that type occurred Sunday
afternoon.According to Ehna, the group was composed of Christians
awaiting the pope’s visit.In the video two people can be seen being
detained. However Rosenfeld says they were only removed from the area.
He says the gathering took place without a permit.“There were a few
scuffles,” he says.There were no altercations or arrests related to the
pope’s visit on Monday, Rosenfeld says.
18:33
Pope ends mass,
heads to Mount Scopus-In the Cenacle, the pope’s mass comes to a close,
essentially marking the end of Francis’s visit to Israel.From Mount
Zion, the pontiff will travel by car to Mount Scopus, where a waiting
helicopter will take him to the airport for a goodbye ceremony before
his flight home to the Vatican.
18:42
Francis greets faithful at
Cenacle before ending trip-Scratch that last post. The mass has ended
but Pope Francis returns to the Cenacle, now back in white robes, to
shake hands with priests, nuns, prelates and others.Each one takes turns
thanking the pope for visiting, and he is treated to a round of
applause.Francis seems to be in a jolly mood, joking with people as he
makes his way down a line, giving the event an intimate feel.
19:13
Looking
back at pope’s jam-packed three-day trip-As the visit comes to a close,
a look back at some of the more memorable moments from Francis’s
journey to the region:
• In Jordan, the pope kicks off his trip
Saturday by issuing a scathing rebuke to arms dealers. “We all want
peace, but looking at the tragedy of war, looking at the wounded, seeing
so many people who left their homeland who were forced to go away, I
ask, ‘Who sells weapons to these people to make war?’” he asked. “This
is the root of evil, the hatred, the love of money.”
• On Sunday
morning, Francis flies by helicopter to Bethlehem, where he become the
first pontiff to visit the Palestinian Authority before Israel.
•
The pope then meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
He calls the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians
“unacceptable” and urges both sides to make sacrifices to reach peace.
•
After meeting Abbas, Francis makes what will likely be remembered as
his most memorable stop, an unplanned detour to the security barrier in
Bethlehem, where he bows his head amid anti-Israel graffiti and says a
prayer for there to be no need for the wall. He also refers to the
“State of Palestine,” in historic move.
• The pope then
celebrates mass at Manger Square, making a plea for an end to
exploitation of children amid a throng of cheering Christians.
•
On Sunday afternoon, Francis takes a helicopter to Israel’s Ben-Gurion
airport, where he is greeted by a gaggle of top government officials,
including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.
“Even if peace calls for sacrifices, the sacrifices of peace are
preferable to the threat of war,” Peres says. Francis says “there is no
other way” but to restart peace talks aiming for a two-state solution to
the conflict, and also condemns terror attack at Belgium Jewish Museum.
•
Francis meets with Eastern counterpart Bartholomew I at the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, fulfilling the official reason for his visit. The
two call for Christian unity.
• On Monday, pope begins whirlwind
tour of Jerusalem with trip to Temple Mount, where he makes calls for
interfaith cooperation. “May no one abuse the name of God through
violence,” he says.
• Pope then visits Western Wall, placing a note with “Our Father” prayer in Spanish in a crack.
•
From Old City Francis travels to lay a wreath on grave of Theodor
Herzl. While there, he agrees to add unscheduled stop at terror victims’
memorial, at Netanyahu’s behest. While visiting the site, pontiff is
told that the reason for the security barrier is to prevent terror
attacks. Pope makes plea for end to terror.
• Francis then visits
Yad Vashem, where he kisses the hands of six survivors and calls
Holocaust greatest evil known to humanity.
• Meeting with Israel’s chief rabbis, Francis called Jews the “older brothers” of Christians.
• At a Presidents’ Residence ceremony, fatigued-looking pope holds private meeting with Peres and is regaled by choir.
•
In meeting with Netanyahu, prime minister once again defends security
barrier to pope, telling him that “when incitement and terror against
Israel stops, there won’t be the need for the security fence, which has
saved thousands of lives.”
• Francis then prays with priests and
seminarians at Church of Gethsemane, before planting “tree of peace,”
echoing move by Paul VI 50 years earlier.
• After mass at Cenacle on Mount Zion, pope makes way to airport for farewell ceremony.
19:17
Farewell
ceremony pushed forward-The pope was originally scheduled to leave
Israel after a farewell ceremony at 8 p.m., but the goodbye has been
moved up to 7:30, after things apparently went quicker than expected.
More unplanned stops next time would keep that from happening.
19:27
Yad
Vashem: Pope’s visit has special significance-In a statement, Yad
Vashem notes that it is pleased with the visit of Pope Francis,
expressing hope that it will contribute to Holocaust awareness.“Yad
Vashem attributes great importance and special significance to the visit
of Pope Francis, which we hope will foster greater Holocaust awareness
around the world,” the statement reads. “His words at Yad Vashem,
together with his speech on arrival in Israel, express shame and pain,
regarding the nadir that humankind reached with the crimes of the
Shoah.”
19:33
Red carpet and jet await pope at airport-At
Ben-Gurion airport, the red carpet is rolled out in front of an El Al
jet waiting to take the pope back to Rome.And unlike the case when he
arrived by helicopter, this time the carpet is aligned with the pope’s
conveyance.
19:42
Pope’s helicopter nears airport-The large
delegation of officials and journalists that accompanied the pope to
Israel now boards the jumbo jet, as the pope’s helicopter from Jerusalem
prepares to touch down on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion.
19:54
Pope
arrives at airport.-Netanyahu and Peres now arrive on the tarmac, as the
pope drives up to the red carpet for the farewell ceremony.He then maes
his way to the plane, flanked by Netanyahu and Peres, who joke with
him.
19:58
Pope says goodbye to Israeli officials-Peres and
Netanyahu greet a group of church dignitaries, as Francis awkwardly
looks on.The pope then bids farewell to a group of Israeli officials,
shaking their hands one by one.
20:04
Netanyahu to pope: ‘We’ll
pray for you, you pray for us’--As they make their way to the plane,
Netanyahu and Francis get into a heated conversation while Peres
shuffles alongside them.
They stop in front of the airplane for
photos.Francis then shakes Peres’s hands, and then Netanyahu’s, who
tells him: “We’ll pray for you, you pray for us.”With that the pope
begins a solid ascent of the stairs up to the plane. before waving
goodbye.
20:09
Pope on plane as visit ends-A shot of Pope
Francis on the plane just before it leaves Israel. He appears to be
reading a newspaper.This marks the end of our liveblog coverage of Pope
Francis’s trip to Israel and the region. We thank you for tuning in.