The pope said his visit in Morocco gave him an image of a beautiful flower of coexistence.
Rabat – The United Nations has described Pope Francis’s visit to Morocco as “extremely important.”
The spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said that the Jerusalem appeal signed by King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis “goes along the lines of what the Secretary-General has been saying for a quite long time, that Jerusalem has a sacred character for Jews, for Christians and Muslims and that it needs to be preserved.”
On Saturday, March 30, the pope and the King expressed concerns through an appeal to the world to warn against moves that undermine the status of Jerusalem.
“We believe it is important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as a shared heritage of humankind and to safeguard it, above all for the believers of the three monotheistic religions, as a symbol of peaceful coexistence and as a meeting place where mutual esteem and dialogue are fostered,” reads the appeal.
Dujarric said that the pope’s visit to Morocco is “extremely important and extremely symbolic.”
“Anything that can bring greater understanding and tolerance between religions is to be welcomed and the issue of migrants and the protection of migrants and the respect of migrants’ dignity is something that is very close to the Secretary-General’s heart,” said the spokesperson in a press briefing on April 1.
The European Union also expressed satisfaction with the Jerusalem appeal.
A spokesman of the EU, quoted by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), said that the European institution “recognizes the special importance of the holy places of Jerusalem for the three monotheistic religions.”
The unidentified spokesperson added that the EU also “firmly believes that the status quo established in 1976 must be maintained in accordance with the previous agreements.”
Pope Francis dedicated his first-ever visit to Morocco to discussing migrants’ rights, interfaith coexistence, and the importance of charity.
Meeting hundreds of migrants during his visit, the pope chaired a holy mass at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, convening Christians from all over the world.
An estimated 10,000 people attended the pope’s mass.
On his way back to the Vatican, Pope Francis regretted issues facing migrants.
The pope also criticized US President Donald Trump’s policy regarding migrants, saying that the world should invest in building bridges, not walls.
“Those who build bridges are moving forward. The bridge is for human communication, it is very beautiful and I have seen it here in Morocco,” the pope told the press.
