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by Marc Nadeau
May 13, 2009

Simply put, the scene was surreal. The Vicar of Christ was visiting the birthplace of our Savior, and the choir was singing “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” and “Adeste Fideles,” hymns normally heard at the Midnight Mass. All of this under the blazing May sun in the Middle East.

Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI was in Bethlehem, and the picture was totally different from the previous day in Gethsemane. 

First, security was not the same at all. I might have been impressed with the extent of the measures put in place by Israeli authorities since Monday, but I have to admit that I was concerned for the pontiff’s safety this morning. The standards of the Palestinian Authority in this regard are much different than those of the government in Jerusalem. 

Second, there was a strong impression that locals outnumbered foreigners during the celebration, whereas the opposite was observable yesterday.

Third, there were huge expectations in the air over the Pope’s support for the Palestinians, their suffering and their cause. After the joyful Mass, Benedict XVI notably repeated his stance in favor of a Palestinian state co-existing with Israel.

In the crowd, pilgrims came from everywhere, just like the day before. Flags represented countries from as far away as Poland, Croatia, France and Italy, and listening to the songs and repeated chants of “Be-ne-det-to,” one couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà-vu from World Youth Day.

During the Mass, I stood beside Jameel, a young Palestinian Catholic who works and lives in Jerusalem. When I asked him about his expectations regarding the pope’s visit, he did not sugar coat them.

“What we want is peace. We can’t take any more of the present situation,” Jameel said.

He continued, “I consider myself lucky. Since I live in Jerusalem, I can freely travel anywhere in Israel. Residents of Bethlehem can’t because they live in territories administered by the Palestinian Authority. I hope for a situation where peace will come and we will all be able to live together, Jews, Muslims and Christians.”

At the same time, Jameel is also a realist.

“My impression is that the day after the Pope is gone and when all the banners are removed, things will be the same again,” he said.   

At the end of the celebration, a poignant moment occurred when the pope expressed his solidarity with the people in Gaza, warmly greeting the delegation from this territory.  I couldn’t help but feel sorry and powerless in light of their tragedy. These Catholics are stuck between Israel’s prerequisites for security and the perils of radical Islam notably embodied by Hamas. To use an expression, they’re right between the hammer and the anvil.

Will Benedict XVI’s visit change anything to the situation?

“Not at all,” said Joseph, my cab driver. “All the pope brings here is traffic problems. He doesn’t bring anything else with him. No economy, no army, nothing concrete.”

To be fair, Joseph is Muslim. For him, there’s little connection with the pope. But his comment reminds me of Stalin’s question of how many military divisions were under the pope’s command. The answer of course is none, but nevertheless, the bishop of Rome is the shepherd of millions of Catholics around the globe.

For now, Pope Benedict’s pilgrimage has raised the profile of the Holy Land’s Christian and Catholic community. And he is beckoning the whole Catholic world to remember the presence and plight of our brothers and sisters here.

“I wish Benedict XVI was here every day,” said a local woman at the Gethsemane Mass yesterday evening.
Short of promising to remain in the Holy Land, Pope Benedict did pave the way today for keeping the spirit of his pilgrimage alive.

Assuring those present that they could “count on the prayers and solidarity” of the universal Church, the pope also urged them to “work, with concrete initiatives, to consolidate your presence and to offer new possibilities to those tempted to leave.”

Jameel and his fellow Palestinian Catholics certainly couldn’t agree more.

Marc Nadeau is Headline Bistro's correspondent in Israel during Pope Benedict XVI's pilgrimage there. He will be filing daily stories, photos and observations of the pope's time in Israel, with a focus on the impact of the trip on the local, Catholic community. Marc is a Knight of Columbus in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Deputy Grand Knight of Council #9825.

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