The Pope Visits Jerusalem: Remembering Pope John Paul II
The visit of Pope Paul VI in 1964 had to some extent been permeated with a sense of unease. The pontiff had avoided visiting Jewish sites and leaders, limiting his visit to Christian holy sites.
In contrast, the visit of Pope John Paul II in 2000 signified an important change in the Vatican’s relationship with the State of Israel. John Paul II made a point of visiting the Western Wall and leaving a note there. But even more significantly, he made a speech acknowledging the tragedy of the Holocaust and prayed for forgiveness for those who participated. His message at the Western Wall was removed by a government spokesman and placed in a memorial at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
But John Paul II did not limit his visit to the issue of Catholic-Jewish relations: He also visited Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site of Islam, and met with Palestinian dignitaries.
That day, an Israeli security team of 7,000 was deployed throughout the Old City of Jerusalem, and in particular by the holy sites.
To this day, the visit of Pope John Paul II to Israel is regarded as a historic mending of the rift between the Vatican and Israel.
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