His Holiness Patriarch meets with the Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH MEETS WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church received the Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee Mahmud Abbas on October 3, 2002, at the Patriarchal residence in Chisty Lane.

Addressing the guest, His Holiness the Patriarch said in particular: “The Orthodox Christians think with a heavy heart about the human blood being shed in the land where Christianity was born and prophets and ascetics preached.” His Holiness welcomed the efforts of all Christians, Muslims and Jews who try to resolve the Middle East conflict in a peaceful way. “Our grief over victims among Arabs, Jews and other people living in the Holy Land urges us to pray for peace in the region and promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict by all possible means,” the Patriarch stressed. He also expressed hope that peace, justice and good-neighborliness would triumph in the Holy Land, which should start with stopping mutual bloodshed.

Patriarch Alexy reminded that several years ago a large delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by her Primate visited the Holy Land for the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church and 150th anniversary of the Orthodox Mission and met there with the leaders of the Palestinian National Autonomy. “The lack of stability in the region now prevent our faithful from going on pilgrimages to the Holy Land,” His Holiness said regretfully.

In his interview after the meeting, Mr. Abbas highly appreciated the position of Patriarch Alexy on the peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict. He expressed hope for a visit of His Holiness the Patriarch to the Holy Land in the nearest future. “But to make it possible it is necessary to resolve the situation and establish peace in our land,” Mahmud Abbas said.