Two prominent members of the Parents Circle and the Palestinian co-CEO met with Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, in the Vatican on Monday, August 26th in a private meeting that they described as “powerful, deeply important and empathetic.”
The three – director Nadine Quomsieh, and former co-directors Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan – met the Pope in his personal quarters in an extended meeting where they discussed the ramifications of peace negotiations in Palestine and Israel, the power of personal storytelling, and the importance of confronting the specter of the ongoing Occupation.
Pope Francis told Aramin and Elhanan that he was “deeply moved” to see them again after a previous meeting in March. He received the trio in his personal quarters and commented that they were an important part of the peace movement, not just in the Middle East, but around the world.
Touching his heart with his hand, Pope Francis praised their efforts to unite people in a divided world as “very courageous.”
Pope Francis meeting with the group (from left: Colum McCann, Rami Elhanan, Nadine Quomsieh, Bassam Aramin)
“There are three types of people,” said the Pope. “There are those who want to fight. And there are those who want to ignore the suffering and pain. And then there are the peacemakers, like you, who are willing to embrace and work with one another in the name of peace and progress.”
The Pope recalled his visit to the West Bank in 2014 when he put his forehead against the Separation Wall in Bethlehem and prayed for the people on both sides. He recalled how he was criticized for this action by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Pope was visibly moved by the testimony of Quomsieh in regards to the treatment of all population in the West Bank and Gaza, and in particular the dwindling Christian population of the West Bank, many of whom she said have felt left out in recent years. “Many Palestinian Christians have been banished,” she told him, “and our numbers are dwindling, even in the Holy Land.”
Along with her colleagues, she told the story of a raid by Israeli settlers on a restaurant in Al-Makhrour in a lush valley near Bethlehem where the Kisiya family have a restaurant. The Pope expressed his concern and said he would do all that he could. He understood her pain, he said, and he prayed for the people of Gaza and the West Bank, and he reiterated his commitment which included phone calls with the Catholic parish in Gaza every single day.
In a majestic room overlooking St Peter’s Square, the small group – which included a Palestinian Muslim, an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian Christian — discussed the ramifications of peace negotiations in the Middle East. The Pope encouraged them to keep up their great work and vowed that he would help wherever he and his administration could.
In a moment of gentle humor, Bassam Aramin told the Pope that he wished he could become President of the United States. The Pope smiled and said he was not quite sure if it would be a benediction or not.
The group also included Irish novelist Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon, who said he was profoundly moved by the connections between the Pope and the group from the Parents Circle. “This is humility in action,” he said.
Shortly before the group left, Pope Francis indicated that he wanted the trio to remain close to one another, to continue their work of peace, and to use their bereavement as a power for good. He accompanied them to the door where they shared a quiet word together.
“It was like being part of a family,” said Rami Elhanan. “The emphasis is clear. We are in this together.”
Before leaving, the group gave the Pope an artwork tableau of the Last Supper made of olive wood.