Moral support: Despite criticism, pope met with Arafat 12 times

Published: 2004-11-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II considered Yasser Arafat the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and thought his long struggle for a Palestinian homeland merited moral support. Primarily for those reasons, the pope met with Arafat 12 times, despite harsh criticism from Israeli and Jewish leaders and questions from many others. Their encounters included a historic visit to Arafat's headquarters in Bethlehem, West Bank, in 2000, during the pope's Holy Land pilgrimage. On that occasion, a beaming Arafat placed a medal around the pope's neck to honor the pontiff for supporting the Palestinian cause. Under Arafat's leadership, the Vatican opened diplomatic ties with the Palestinian National Authority, paralleling the Holy See's diplomatic relations with Israel. In 2000, the Vatican sealed a groundbreaking "fundamental agreement" with the Palestinian leadership regarding church rights in Palestinian territories.

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