Nuncio campaigns for pilgrims

National Catholic Reporter, April 16, 2004 by Dennis Coday

JERUSALEM -- The papal nuncio to Israel and the Palestinian territories is urging Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land as "disciples of Christ, witnesses of peace and agents of human solidarity." During an April 1 reception hosted by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, Archbishop Pietro Sambi said, "Come to the Holy Land, the Christians here are waiting for you; the Israelis and Palestinians are waiting for you.

"I am pained when I think this is the land chosen by God to give an enlightening message to all humanity ... of love of life and of brotherhood and peace," Sambi said. "The message going to everybody from this Holy Land now is a message of violence, destruction and death," he said.

"Peace is not a defeat for anybody, Peace is a victory for human dignity and the spirit of God within us," he said. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land would be "a gift for the Palestinian and Israeli people" and a "great gift" for those making the pilgrimage.