The third day of the Pope’s visit among us

The day began when the Pope arrived with his delegation in helicopters from Jerusalem and they were received by the civil and religious authorities of the city. From the helicopter, he made his way to the Mount of the Precipice where tens of thousands of the faithful were waiting, gathered from all over the country and among them the faithful of the Hebrew speaking Catholic communities too. The Pope celebrated a mass that not only was in the Latin rite but also combined elements from the Byzantine rite. Among the readers of the prayers of the faithful was Vladimir from the Jaffa Hebrew speaking community who read a prayer in Hebrew.

The homily of the Pope can be read here

Video clip of the mass in Nazareth

After lunch in the Franciscan convent alongside the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Pope met with Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Binyamin Netanyahu. Immediatelly following the meeting, the Pope joined a group of religious leaders from Israel, gathered in the auditorium of the Basilica. Those who spoke at this meeting were Bishop Marcuzzo of Nazareth, Shaykh Muwafaq Tarif, head of the Druze community, a Muslim judge and Rabbi David Rosen before the Pope addressed the gathered assembly.

The speech of the Pope can be read here

Video clip of the meeting

Video clip of song at meeting

From the inter-religious meeting, the Pope went to pray for a few moments in the grotto of the Annnunciation and then ascended to the upper church where he prayed Vespers with a large gathering of Christians from Nazareth and men and women religious. Rivka, from the Hebrew speaking Catholic community in Jerusalem, read a prayer during the prayers of the faithful.

The homily of the Pope can be read here

Video clip of vespers