Their meeting in the Vatican lasted twenty minutes and “great satisfaction” was expressed regarding the bilateral agreement. Tomorrow, Sunday May 17, the Palestinian leader will be attending the ceremony for the canonization of the first two modern-day Palestinian saints.
This morning Pope Francis received the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), in an audience in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.The meeting took place ahead of tomorrow’s canonization ceremony for the first two modern-day Palestinian saints and aftter a bilateral agreement was reached last Wednesday between the Holy See and the “State of Palestine”, to sign an accord int he near future which will regulate the status of the Church in the Middle Eastern country.
As is tradition with heads of State or of government, Francis presented presented a gift to the Palestinian leader, commenting: “May the angel of peace destroy the evil spirit of war. I thought of you: may you be an angel of peace.” Pope Francis had called Abu Mazen a “man of peace” when he visited Bethlehem in May 2014, just as he called the then Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, a “man of peace” during his subsequent visit to Jerusalem. The Argentinian Pope had then invited both leaders to a prayer vigil for peace int he Vatican Gardens which took place on 8 June that year and was also attended by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew. Upon his arrival in the Sala del Tronetto (“little throne room”) of the Vatican Apostolic Palace opposite the papal library, Abu Mazen greeted the Pope with a light-hearted joke: “You look younger”. The Pope gestured to him to enter the library before him and the Palestinian leader finally did so after trying to let the Pope enter first.
The closed-door meeting between the Pope and Mahmoud Abbas lasted twenty minutes. It was held in the presence of Francis’ private secretary, the Egyptian Copt, Yoannis Lahzi Gaid who acting as their interpreter, translating between Italian and Arabic. The Palestinian President then met the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Secretary for Relations with States, Mgr. Paul Gallagher. All in all, Abbas stayed in the Vatican for one and a half hours.
“During the course of the cordial talks, great satisfaction was expresed regarding the agreement reached with regard to the text for an Accord between the Parties, about certain essential aspects of the life and activities of the Catholic Church in palestine. The Accord will be signed int e near future. Next, the peace process with Israel was discussed and the hope was expressed that direct negotiations between the Parties would resume in order to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict. For this purpose, the wish for Israelis and Palestinians to take determined and courageous decisions in aid of peace, with the support of the international community, was once against reiterated. Finally, in reference to the conflicts afflicting the Middle East, the need for interreligious dialogue was stressed, as well as the importance of combating terrorism.
Mahmoud Abbas, who yesterday met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, will be present at the canonization os two Palestinian nuns tomorrow. Abbas expressed his thanks to the Holy Father for these canonizatons. The two nuns in question are: Marie Alphonsine Danil Ghattas and Mariam of Jesus Crucified Baouardy. They will become Palestine’s first modern-day saints. Pope Francis will be canonizing them alongside the Blesseds Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve (France) and Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception Brando (Italy). Today the Palestinian leader presented the Pope with a mother of pearl box containing two relics of the future saints. “See you tomorrow,” Abu Mazen said as he took his leave. Despite Israel’s shock at the recent agreement between Palestine and the Holy See, the Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, Zion Evrony, will be present at tomorrow’s mass, accompanied by his wife and entourage.
