Pope John Paul If hopes Jerusalem becomes “a significant center of peace.”
He also hinted again this week that he hoped to make a trip to the Holy Land soon. Last week the pope said he wanted to make a pilgrimage to major biblical sites, and he has spoken frequently about his desire to visit Jerusalem.
Israel and the Vatican formally recognized each other one month ago, making such a trip probable.
In his sermon during a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, the pope said he carried the thought of Jerusalem with him during his many trips around the world. He said he “looked toward Jerusalem with love” and knelt in respect for its holy sites.
“May that wall, the remains of the ancient temple of Solomon, stop being the Wailing Wall and become a place of peace and reconciliation for the believers in the one true God,” he said.
In Israel, the wall is known as the Western Wall.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
