Nicosia, June 06: Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a visit to Cyprus on Sunday with his eyes on the troubled Middle East, calling for an end to bloodshed and highlighting the plight of the region’s Christians.
At a mass in a sports arena near the Cypriot capital, he prayed for the success of a synod of Middle Eastern bishops in October which will grapple with the problems.
He expressed hope that the meeting “will help to focus the attention of the international community on the plight of Christians in the Middle East who suffer for their beliefs, so that just and lasting solutions may be found to the conflicts that cause so much hardship.”
“On this grave matter, I reiterate my personal appeal for an urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed.”
The mass was attended by around 10,000 people, including Cypriots and pilgrims from Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, many waving their national flags and those of the Vatican.
Their numbers were swelled by many migrant workers from India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines who make up a large part of the Roman Catholic faithful in mainly Orthodox Cyprus.
The pontiff’s remarks reflected the theme of the working paper for October’s synod in Rome that he delivered to assembled bishops from the region after the service.
As he presented the document, the pope expressed hope that Christians in the region might live in “peace and harmony with your Jewish and Muslim neighbours.”
Also, stressing the “great trials” endured by Christians and their “priceless role”, he said he hoped their “rights would be more and more respected, including the right to freedom of worship and religion.”
The same themes were reflected in the paper.
“In a region where the followers of the three monotheistic religions have lived together for centuries, Christians must get to know their Jewish and Muslim neighbours well if they are to collaborate with them in the fields of religion, social interaction and culture for the good of society as a whole,” it said.
The paper also highlighted obstacles to this goal.
Referring to radical Islam, it said “these extremist currents, clearly a threat to everyone, Christians, Jews and Muslims, require joint action.”
It also singled out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which flared again just days ago when Israeli commandos raided an aid flotilla trying to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip and killed nine Turkish activists.
The working paper said “various tensions in the Middle East are an offshoot of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
“Christians have a special contribution to make in the area of justice and peace by courageously denouncing violence, no matter what its origin, and suggest solutions which can only be achieved through dialogue.
“The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is creating difficulties in everyday life, inhibiting freedom of movement, the economy and religious life,” with access to holy sites dependent on military permission.
Moreover, “certain Christian fundamentalist theologies used sacred scripture to justify Israel’s occupation of Palestine, making the position of Christian Arabs an even more sensitive issue.”
And it expressed concern about the often difficult social and economic conditions in the region that force many Christians to emigrate.
“Their disappearance would impoverish the pluralism which has always characterised the the countries of the Middle East,” which “would be at a disadvantage without the Christian voice.”
Benedict’s visit to Cyprus is the first ever by any pope and his first to an Orthodox country.
While he characterised the trip as a pilgrimage focusing on faith, he nonetheless expressed concern for the political problems plaguing Cyprus.
The Mediterranean island was invaded by Turkey in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup seeking unification with Greece, and the northern third has been occupied by Turkish troops ever since.
President Demetris Christofias and the head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, urged the pope’s prayers for an end to the division.
Benedict expressed hope that Cypriots might patiently resolve the “remaining concerns that you share — with the international community — for the future of your island.”
—Agencies