Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 7, 2009: Forgiving Sometimes Means Forgetting

This and That:
Forgiving Sometimes Means Forgetting


Pope Benedict had a unique role to play in the Holy Land. Having lived for three months at the Bethlehem Wall and a 10-minute bus ride to Jerusalem, I could not help but raise my heart to God in gratitude for his presence there. I realized just how unique his mission is in this divided and conflicted country the size of New Jersey. They squabble over everything from land to doctrinal minutiae. The fact is that the Pope did not come to the Holy Land to play party politics, not even for his own “party.” Nor did he come merely as a representative of the Catholic Church; he came on behalf of everyone involved, on behalf of humanity itself.

Benedict spoke on behalf of the Jews, praising their religious heritage and defending their right to security and self-rule. He spoke on behalf of Palestinians and their right to sovereignty and freedom. He spoke on behalf of Muslims, calling them to the best of their religious tradition with its deep religious convictions and heartfelt worship of the one God. He spoke for Christians in their difficult status as a tiny, suffering minority of the population. Yes, he spoke to all and for all.

And this is the singularity of the Pope’s voice and message. Paradoxically, amidst all the manipulation of the Pope’s message and all the complaints that he does not side closely enough with any one group, we see the greatness and uniqueness of his presence here. Is there any other leader in the world that can speak with the same moral authority or true impartiality? I think not. His very refusal to play partisan politics is why his message is so often rejected, and yet, why it is so desperately important.

At the present time attention has shifted to Bethlehem, the City of David and birthplace of Jesus Christ, but also a part of the Palestinian Territories. On arriving to Bethlehem, Benedict XVI lost no time in expressing his heartfelt solidarity with the suffering Palestinians, and in affirming the Holy See’s position regarding their right to sovereignty. “Mr. President, the Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders,” he said.

In theory this should provoke no disagreement, since the official position of the State of Israel coincides with that of the Holy See. Israel, too, affirms the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign homeland, once such an arrangement can be feasibly worked out without detriment to Israel's security. Of course, there’s the rub.

In my studies in the Holy Land I had spoken with a number of people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and the one thing they all seem to have in common is that they are suffering. Each one wanted to tell me of the hardships and injustices endured, either personally or historically. Each had a tale of woe to tell. No one seems to recall ever having committed injustice, but all remember having suffered it. And I cannot help but wonder, in a land of so much pain and grief, a land whose peoples pride themselves on “remembering,” whether on occasion forgetfulness might not be a more needed virtue.

While in Bethlehem, Benedict XVI urged his Christian hearers to “Be a bridge of dialogue and constructive cooperation in the building of a culture of peace to replace the present stalemate of fear, aggression and frustration.” This is what he himself is striving to be – by his presence, by his words and by his patient resolve to persistently preach the Good News “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Fondly,
Father Nicholas