Pope seeks prayers for Middle East
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday that he was going to the Holy Land this week as a pilgrim of peace in a region marked by injustice, mistrust and fear.
Benedict’s eight-day pilgrimage, which begins Friday, will take him to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In a speech at the Vatican the pope asked for prayers for all the people of the Holy Land.
“In just a few days I will have the privilege of visiting the Holy Land. I go as a pilgrim of peace,” the pontiff said.
He said the “land of our Lord’s birth, death and resurrection, a sacred place for the world’s three great monotheistic religions, has been plagued by violence and injustice” for 60 years. “This has led to a general atmosphere of mistrust, uncertainty and fear,” he said.
“As I prepare for this significant journey, I ask in a special way that you join me in prayer for all the peoples of the Holy Land and the region. May they receive the gifts of reconciliation, hope and peace.”
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