Pope's visit heals historic wounds

Overture to Orthodox 111 Landmark mosque visit I Middle East peace call
By Simon Caldwell POPE JOHN Paul II has completed an astonishing pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Paul — during which he preached a message of peace, tolerance and understanding to the world.
The Pontiff, who celebrates his 81st birthday next Friday, prayed for peace from the symbolic location of Kuneitra in the Golan Heights, Syria, as part of a tour of the Eastern Mediterranean which also took in Greece and Malta.
He also advanced interreligious dialogue between Christianity and Islam when he became the first serving Pontiff to set foot in a mosque.
And in Athens last Friday, he took a surprising step toward reconciling the Churches of East and West — divided by the Great Schism of 1054 — by acknowledging such sins as the Sack of Constantinople in 1204.
"For the occasions past and
present, when the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church have sinned by actions or omission against their Orthodox brothers and sisters may the Lord grant us the forgiveness we beg of him," he said to applause from Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, who had earlier refused to meet him, but with whom he later embraced.
Afterwards, Fr Thomas Synodinos, chancellor of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Athens, said: "This was a very, very positive thing for the Orthodox Church. It's something we've been awaiting for 950 years. I think it breaks the ice."
In Syria, the Pope raised hopes for an agreement on the date of Easter during a meeting with Greek and Syrian Church leaders in the Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The Western Church uses a calendar revised by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, while the Eastern uses the old Julian calendar.
"By virtue of the apostolic succession, the priesthood and the Eucharist unite in very close bonds our particular Churches, who call one another, and love to call one another, sister Churches," said John Paul.
"And now, after a long
period of division and mutual
misunderstanding, the Lord is enabling us to discover ourselves as sister Churches once more, in spite of the obstacles that were once raised between us. If today we are seeking the re-establishment of full communion, it is for the accomplishment of this reality that we must work and it is to this reality that we must refer."
The Pope made history when he visited the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, the reputed resting place of the head of St John the Baptist. And while he attempted to steer clear of direct political involvement in Middle East ern affairs, and criticism of Israel in particular, he nevertheless spoke out in defence of human rights. He urged a "return to the principles of international legality",reaffirmed the rights of national self-determination and denounced the forceful acquisition of territory In a homily at the Abbayassin stadium in Damascus, the Pope later said he hoped fear would turn into trust, contempt to mutual esteem, that force would give way to dialogue, and that a genuine desire to serve the common good would prevail.
He said: "In this holy land,
Christians, Muslims and Jews are called to work together with confidence and boldness. They must work to bring about without delay the day when the legitimate rights of all people are respected and they can live in peace and mutual understanding."
He renewed his plea for peace as he departed for Malta.
He said: "For the door of peace to be open, fundamental issues of truth and justice, of rights and responsibilities must be resolved."