Pope calls for peace
Egypt, Local, 2/25/2000

Pope John Paul II, starting his three-day pilgrimage, yesterday appealed in Cairo for inter-religious harmony and condemned past and present use of violence in the name of religion.

Speaking on his arrival, the 79year-old Pontiff, also appealed for a comprehensive Middle East peace in which the rights and legitimate aspirations of all peoples would be respected.

President Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid and Grand Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi of al-Azhar, the leading institution of the Sunni Muslim world, greeted the Pope at the steps of his plane.

Describing the Pope as "a man of courage, wisdom and tolerance", President Mubarak said: We should strive together to fight fanaticism, prejudice and hatred. We should oppose all discrimination, injustice and double standards, if we are to establish a new viable order. Your voices on these issues is of enormous value..."

In a sign of his increasing frailty the Pope, who once began his foreign visits by kissing the ground, this time kissed a bowl of Egyptian soil presented to him by a child. The highlight of the Pope's visit to Egypt, the first of two tours in the footsteps of Moses and Jesus, comes tomorrow when he will pray at the base of Mount Sinai.

He said his visit to the Mount Sinai sanctuary would be "a moment of intense prayer for peace and inter-religious harmony".

Speaking in a region for centuries a cockpit of religious strife, the Pope said: "To promote violence and conflict in the name of religion is a terrible contradiction and a terrible offence against God".

"But past and present history give us many examples of such a misuse of religion" he added Speaking of the region's prospects and problems the Pope, beginning the 90th foreign tour of his Papacy, praised Mubarak's efforts to advance Middle East peace.

"All reasonable men and women appreciate the efforts made so far and hope that goodwill and justice will prevail, so that all the peoples of this unique area of the world will see their rights respected and their legitimate aspirations fulfilled," he said.

"Salaam aleikum (Peace be on you)," the Pope said, in the single phrase he uttered in Arabic during his arrival address.

"This is my greeting to you all. This is the prayer I offer up for Egypt and for all her people. May the most High God bless your land with harmony, peace and prosperity." The Pope, who met al-Azhar's Tantawi again later in the day, praised "the centres of art and learning" which he said had a determining influence on the Arab world and Africa.

"My visit to Saint Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai will be a moment of intense prayer for peace and for inter-religious harmony," the white-robed Pope said in his post-arrival speech at Cairo airport's VIP Lounge.

"We must all work to strengthen the growing commitment to inter-religious dialogue, a great sign of hope for the people's of the world," the Pope said. The Pope also hailed the civilizing influence of both Islam and Egypt.

"For many years I have been looking forward to celebrating the 2000 anniversary of the birth of Christ by visiting and praying at the places specially linked to God's interventions in history," he said.

"We share with you a great hope for a better future that carries within it an era of peace and love, a world dominated by the values which are deeply rooted in our religions and traditions," Mubarak addressed the Pope.

Your voice on these issues is of enormous value. We wish you "a happy stay in our land and God bless us all," he said.

Previous Stories:
  Pope John Paul II starts his first visit today to Egypt   (2/24/2000)
  Mubarak to receive Pope John Paul II   (2/23/2000)
  Egyptian ambassador commends Vatican's backing for Palestine's cause   (2/23/2000)

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