After the audience, on Saturday, January 14, the Palestinian president inaugurated the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See, which opened in light of the Apostolic See’s recognition of the “State of Palestine”.
“I hope other countries will follow the Vatican’s example and recognise the Palestinian State,” said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in an audience with the Pope. After the meeting, the president officially inaugurated the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See which opened in recent months after the Apostolic Palace signed a bilateral agreement recognising the “State of Palestine”.
The bilateral agreement that sealed the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Palestine, was signed in June 2015 and came into force in January 2016. At the time, the decision was met with disapproval from Israel, with which the Holy See has not yet achieved the same goal of a bilateral accord.
“Speaking to the press in Arabic upon his arrival at the embassy in Via di Porta Angelica, just a stone’s throw away from St. Peter’s, the president said: “We have met Your Holiness and we hope other countries will follow the Vatican’s example and recognise the Palestinian State.” When asked what he thought about US President Donal Trump’s intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he said: “We heard about President Trump’s decision,” Abbas replied, “but we cannot comment until this decision is actually taken but if this decision does materialise, we do not believe it will be of any help to peace. We hope it will not happen”. Upon arrival, the Palestinian president unveiled the plaque of the new embassy and raised the Palestinian flag on the side of the building, which was surrounded by a security cordon. The Substitute for General Affairs at the Vatican, Mgr. Angelo Becciu and the head of protocol, Mgr. José Avelino Bettencourt, attended the closed-door ceremony.
The inauguration of the Palestinian embassy is “an important achievement for the Palestinian people, given that the Pope has adopted a moral, legal and political position in recognising the State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-1967 borders,” Ambassador Issa Kassissieh stated. In a letter to Donald Trump, published in recent days by Palestinian news agency Wafa, Abu Mazen warned that the new occupant of the White House that moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as suggested, would have “disastrous consequences for the peace process, the two-State solution and the stability and security of the entire region”.
This morning, Mahmoud Abbas arrived slightly late at the Vatican and held a 23-minute meeting with the Pope, in the presence of an interpreter, from 10:12 to 10:35. During the exchange of gifts, the Palestinian president gave the Pope five gifts: an icon depicting Jesus’ face, a book documenting the restructuring of the Church of the Nativity, a book titled “Palestine and the Holy See”, a gilded icon of the Holy Family and a “stone from Sacred Golgotha, from the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Francis, on his part, gave Mahmoud Abbas a medal commemorating the Jubilee Year just passed and the Arabic version of “two of my texts on love and the family and on the care of creation,” in other words the “Amoris Laetitia” and the “Laudato Si’”.
As the Pope was being presented to members of the Palestinian president’s entourage – a delegation of about a dozen people – a young official told the Pope he was married to an Argentinian woman and made a joke about San Lorenzo, the football team Francis supports, which made the Pope laugh The official then gave the Pope a football shirt with the Palestinian colours.
The Pope and the Palestinian president continued their conversation for a few more minutes and according to journalists who were present during the bits of the audience that were open to the public, Mahmoud Abbas – in reference to the bilateral agreement that led to the opening of the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See – stated that “this is a sign that the Pope loves the Palestinian people and loves peace”.
At the end of the papal audience, Mahmoud Abbas was received by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Mgr. Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. “The cordial conversations that took place,” the Vatican press office said, “were a testament above all to the good relations between the Holy See and Palestine, which were sealed by the global accord of 2015, regarding essential aspects of the life and activities of the Church in Palestinian society. On that occasion, reference was made to the important contribution of Catholics in the promotion of human dignity and help for the needy, especially in the fields of education, health and assistance. The conversations also focused on the peace process in the Middle East,” the statement went on to say, “expressing the hope that direct negotiations between the parties would resume, in order to bring an end to the violence that is causing unacceptable suffering to the civilian population, and that a just and lasting solution could be found. To this end, the wish expressed, was that measures would be taken, with the support of the international community,” the statement emphasised, “in favour of mutual trust, contributing to the creation of a climate that would encourage courageous decisions in favour of peace. The importance of safeguarding the sacredness of the Holy Places for faithful of all there Abrahamic religions, was also reiterated. There was also a special focus on other conflicts afflicting the region,” the Vatican statement added in conclusion.
In his most recent Christmas message, the Palestinian president had announced: “Soon I will be honoured to visit H.H Pope Francis in the Vatican. We will undoubtedly tackle several issues of mutual interest, including the advancement of justice and peace in the region, as well as encouraging interfaith dialogue towards more understanding and respect. In that context, we reiterate our strong position that no Holy Book should be used as an excuse or to justify the commitment of any kind of crimes or violations. We will also discuss the historic agreement between the State of Palestine and the Holy See as an example for the rest of the region on how to strengthen the presence of Christians and their institutions. Christians are the salt of this earth, and we don’t conceive a Middle East without its indigenous Christians. We will continue to cooperate with the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, who are part of Palestine and its people, to advance these mutual goals.”
Today, Abbas is to travel to Paris, where he is to hold an international conference on peace in the Middle East. “This could be the last chance for a two-State solution,” the Palestinian president told French daily newspaper Le Figaro, in reference to Israel and Palestine.
