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| The Dome of the Rock as seen from Dominus Flevit church. (Photo: Deror Avi) |
THE Vatican is maintaining its neutrality on Palestine’s bid for United Nations membership, despite the move being openly backed by the former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
“We have nothing to say on the matter, although we have to show respect for the view of the United Nations,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, S.J., told CNA Sept. 19.
Palestinian officials say they will launch their application for full United Nations membership next week at the UN headquarters in New York. They intend to ask for international recognition based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as a capital. The idea is strongly opposed by Israel and the United States. In fact, the US is likely to veto any Palestinian resolution at the UN Security Council, the first stage of the process.
The Palestinian bid was backed by Archbishop Michel Sabbah, the former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during his Sunday Mass in the Palestinian city of Nablus. A joint statement was also issued by various Palestinian Christian clergy – including Catholic priests – to “support the diplomatic efforts made to achieve international recognition of the state of Palestine.”
This past June Pope Benedict described Palestine’s aspiration to statehood as “legitimate” during a meeting at the Vatican with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The Pope also cautioned that this should be achieved with the “just and lasting respect of everyone’s rights.”
Report from Catholic News Agency
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