Cardinal Pizzaballa launches Jerusalem forum to seek paths to peace
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has launched a permanent forum with the University of Notre Dame's academic center. He said it aims to create the conditions for a narrative that can lead to peace between Israelis and Palestinians
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said he wants to promote peace in the region. He was speaking at the presentation of a permanent forum, "Within your gates: the forum for the universal vocation of Jerusalem." The event was held in Jerusalem in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame's academic center. Pizzaballa said peace is the goal but looks unattainable at present. The search for paths to reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians has to continue, he said.
Pizzaballa said the forum's purpose is to understand the current situation, analyze it and work on specific solutions. That does not mean only building hospitals, he said, although they are needed for humanitarian work; the aim is to create opportunities in education and academic work. "There are many associations and groups that deal with Jerusalem and with dialogue, but the goal of this forum is to prepare and create the conditions to build a narrative that can lead to peace," he said.
Obstacles to the peace process
Pizzaballa also pointed to the many obstacles in the way of the peace process, among them polarization, hatred and mistrust between communities. "The general loss has produced a rejection of anything that does not guarantee each person's identity and history," he said. Turning to the current political climate in Israel, he said calm spaces for dialogue are needed, where different positions can be discussed constructively.
Pizzaballa said the world and society cannot be changed immediately, but that he intends to help provide a clear and, if necessary, uncomfortable presence that reminds everyone that the Holy Land belongs to all. For dialogue to be genuine and effective, he said, everyone must be heard, not only those who share one's own views. "We must be well anchored in this reality, which is painful but also rich in opportunities," he said.
Jerusalem as a prophecy of universal reconciliation
In an earlier reflection, Pizzaballa said that "the mission of the earthly Jerusalem is to become the image and mirror of the heavenly Jerusalem, a prophecy and a promise of the universal reconciliation and peace that God desires for the whole human family."
