Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., May 07, 2009 Iyyar 13, 5769 | | Israel Time: 19:11 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File TLV 100
Last update - 15:57 08/03/2009
Pope officially announces Holy Land visit in May
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Richard Williamson 

Pope Benedict XVI officially announced Sunday that he will visit Israel on May 8-15 in the first papal trip to the area since 2000.

Benedict announced the dates of the long-planned pilgrimage following his
traditional noontime blessing on Sunday.
Advertisement
The Pope said he would visit the sites of Jesus' life and would pray for the precious gift of unity and peace for the Middle East and all of humanity. The itinerary will include stops in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Benedict is expected to visit Jordan's largest mosque in Amman, and make stops in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.

At the same time, the Israeli chief rabbinate will renew its ties with the Vatican, which were cut in response to the Holy See's decision in January to revoke the excommunication of Richard Williamson, a British-born bishop who denied the extent of the Holocaust.

Last month, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that Pope Benedict will visit Israel in May, confirming the spring pilgrimage and avoiding any mention of tense Catholic-Jewish relations over Williamson.

"This May, we will receive a special visitor, Pope Benedict XVI," Olmert told his cabinet, without giving an exact date. "President Shimon Peres will accompany him to various sites in Israel."

Olmert said he will ask the government to appoint Vice Premier Haim Ramon to be responsible for organizing the visit, and PMO Director-General Ra'anan Dinur to chair an inter-ministerial team to coordinate preparations for the visit.

"Naturally, we very much hope that the visit will be held in an appropriate atmosphere and will be as successful as Pope John Paul II's was," said Olmert. "A Papal visit to the Holy Land is always an exceptionally significant event and we hope that it will be this time as well."

President Shimon Peres said he was "delighted" that the Pope had accepted his invitation to visit the Holy Land.

"The Pope will be a most honored guest, welcomed and respected by people from all walks of life. His visit will be a moving and important event bringing the spirit of peace and hope," Peres said.

Catholic-Jewish relations have been extremely tense since Jan. 24, when Benedict lifted excommunications of four renegade traditionalist bishops in an attempt to heal a schism that began in 1988 when they were ordained without Vatican permission.

Williamson denied the full extent of the Holocaust and says there were no gas chambers.

The Vatican has ordered him to recant but he so far has not done so, saying he needs more time to review the evidence.

Faced with Jewish anger over Williamson's remarks on the Holocaust, the pope said during a meeting with American Jewish leaders last month that "any denial or minimization of this terrible crime is intolerable."

A detailed itinerary of the pope's visit is not yet available.

It would be the third visit of a reigning pontiff to Israel since the state was created in 1948.

Pope Paul VI made a one-day stopover from Jordan in 1964, but since the Vatican and Israel did not yet have diplomatic relations, he avoided any statement or act that could be interpreted as even indirect recognition of the Jewish state.

In March 2000, Pope John Paul II made a five-day pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian territories, during which he visited Christian and Jewish holy sites.

Related articles:
  • Vatican picks Nazareth as venue for papal mass
  • Catholic bishop that denied Holocaust apologizes for his remarks
  • Will Virgin Mary TV spoof jeopardize Pope visit to Israel?
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    'Unfair Gaza probe'
    Peres tells Ban that Israel will never accept UN's conclusions on its Gaza war conduct.
    Arab fears on Iran
    U.S. allies in the Gulf are worried over Obama's diplomatic overtures to Tehran.
      1.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 06:44  |  John 08/03/09
      2.   Mysterious 08:35  |  Shimon Cleopas 08/03/09
      3.   Former Hitler Youth 08:49  |  Baruch Gold 08/03/09
      4.   John - if all Israeli`s think like you... 09:43  |  Palestinian Brit 08/03/09
      5.   why is he visiting the palestinian territories? 14:14  |  Damon 08/03/09
      6.   Excellent timing by the `German Shepherd` 14:40  |  Nemesis 08/03/09
      7.   Former hitler youth 17:01  |  Aharon Rosenbaum 08/03/09
      8.   And these posters complain about Jew haters? 17:19  |  Lou Medel 08/03/09
      9.   #3 17:42  |  RAK 08/03/09
      10.   Baruch Gold from Hebron 17:47  |  American 08/03/09
      11.   pali brit:no fuss about the pope`s visit 17:50  |  Arie 08/03/09
      12.   #5 Damon 17:59  |  Sol 08/03/09
      13.   # 5 damon 18:10  |  Axel 08/03/09
      14.   # 5 Damon...since I am not Catholic, but do respect men 00:45  |  Lynn 09/03/09
      15.   He should visit Kfar Shibli! 00:58  |  Bedouin Plumber 09/03/09
      16.   Pope Benedict XVI`s Great Opportunity 01:19  |  Marie Devine 09/03/09
      17.   Hitler Jugend enrollment was compulsory! 01:29  |  Andrea 09/03/09
      18.   Jesus` message to the Pope 03:04  |  Brod 09/03/09
      19.   His plans to pray should be for the iniquity filled governments 03:46  |  glenna 10/03/09
      20.   #18 18:02  |  Paul M Blake 27/04/09
     Haaretz Hot Topics
    Durban II conference
    Air strike in Sudan
    Israel 2009 election results: Voter breakdown
    Israel vs. Hamas
    Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
    More Headlines
    17:40 U.S.: We are committed to Syrian-Israeli peace deal
    18:07 IDF soldier killed during West Bank raid
    17:28 Blair: Israel-Palestinian talks must address Jerusalem
    19:09 How will the German-born pope address the Holocaust at Yad Vashem?
    13:46 Egypt official 'reminds' Israel of its war crimes against Arabs
    17:16 IDF bans Palestinians from hosting pope next to West Bank fence
    18:08 Does an Israeli start-up hold the key to stopping swine flu?
    14:16 Star Trek's J.J. Abrams: A 'lucky schmuck' with Spielberg as mentor
    21:58 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
    16:41 Egypt dismisses reports of uranium found at nuclear facility
    16:29 Poll: European Muslims more patriotic than average populace
    14:13 Abbas to form new government without Hamas deputies
    16:38 Petah Tikva man accused of raping woman while posing as rabbi
    11:45 German paper: Berlin pressures firms to limit Iran trade
    14:36 Nine Bedouin 'terror suspects' have charges reduced
    17:22 Proposed budget cuts spark howls of protests from politicos, NGOs
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Spring Specials-Dan Hotels
    Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$
    The Meier on Rothschild Tower
    Masterpiece Residence in the Heart of Tel Aviv
    Dead Sea Skin Care
    Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
    Camp Kimama Israel 2009
    The best place for your children this summer
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Jewish Singles Personal Ads
    Find the love of your life on JDate.com
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
    Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved