Pope Francis is received by Morocco's King Mohammed VI upon disembarking from his plane at Rabat-Sale International Airport near the capital Rabat, Morocco, March 30, 2019. Fadel Senna/Pool via REUTERS

RABAT (Reuters) - Pope Francis and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI called on Saturday for the protection of Jerusalem’s multi-religious character, saying the city’s sacred sites must be accessible to worshippers of all faiths.

In a joint appeal signed on the first day of Francis’ visit to Rabat, the pope and the monarch said they were “deeply concerned for its spiritual significance and its special vocation as a city of peace”.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump announced Washington’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2017, the pope, other Christian leaders and Muslim heads of state have stepped up their expressions of concern for the city.

“We consider it important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif as the common patrimony of humanity and especially for the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated,” said the joint appeal, using the Arab name for Jerusalem.

It called for “full freedom of access” for Jews, Muslims and Christians and a guarantee of their right to worship there.

The Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with both sides agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its “united and eternal” capital.

Speaking several days after Trump announced the move in 2017, the pope called for the city’s “status quo” to be respected, saying new tensions in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.

The Moroccan and Jordanian kings signed a similar joint statement on Thursday.</s>Pope Francis is in Morocco as part of his ongoing effort to advance inter-religious dialogue. It is the first visit by a pope to the predominantly Muslim country in 34 years. Just last month the pope visited the predominantly Muslim United Arab Emirates.

Pope John Paul II was the last head of the Catholic Church to visit Morocco in August 1985. Moroccans are seeing the current visit in a positive way and the message that Pope Francis has for them is that Muslims and Christians can peacefully co-exist.

Ahead of the two-day visit, Pope Francis issued a video message for the Moroccan people. He thanked King Mohammed VI for inviting him and Moroccan authorities for their collaboration in making this visit possible.

Francis said that, following in the footsteps of his holy predecessor, John Paul II, he is coming as a pilgrim of peace and brotherhood, in a world that greatly needs it. Francis added that both Christians and Muslims believe in God “who created men and women, and placed them in the world so that they might live as brothers and sisters, respecting each other’s diversity and helping each other in their needs.”



 Morocco’s population is almost all Muslim, with the local Catholic community consisting of some 23,000 faithful. The majority of them are immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The pope will spend only 27 hours in Morocco but he has a busy schedule. On his first day in Rabat, the pope focuses on inter-faith dialogue and on solidarity with migrants.

He will be visiting the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of imams in what is expected to be a significant moment of his visit. It is the first time a pope is welcomed in a school for imams. This is part of the Moroccan king’s effort against fundamentalism while promoting a moderate approach to Islam.

On Saturday, Pope Francis also will be meeting with migrants at a center run by the Catholic charity Caritas. There are some 50,000 migrants in Morocco and about 4,000 are looked after by Caritas. The issue of migrants is an important one, as Morocco’s proximity to Spain has led many migrants to travel this route to enter Europe.

On Sunday, Pope Francis will visit the Center for Social Services at Temara, just south of Rabat, which used to be a rural school run by Jesuits and is now an important care center for children. The pope will then hold a meeting with religious men and women in Rabat cathedral and lunch with the country’s bishops.

Before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis will celebrate mass at the city’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The mass is expected to be attended by at least half the Catholic population in the country.</s>Pope Francis and Moroccan King Mohammed VI launched a joint appeal Saturday, urging the protection of the status quo of Jerusalem as the common patrimony of “the followers of the three monotheistic religions.”

The appeal was released in the midst of the pope’s two-day visit to Morocco and asserts the two leaders’ concern for “the unique and sacred character of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif” as well as “its spiritual significance and its special vocation as a city of peace.”

“We consider it important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif as the common patrimony of humanity,” the appeal states, “and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated.”

In late 2017, Pope Francis issued a similar appeal calling for respect for the “status quo” in Jerusalem following the news that the United States would transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the Holy City.

“My thoughts now turn to Jerusalem,” the pope said. “I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has been created in the last days.”

“At the same time, I would like to make a heartfelt appeal for everyone’s commitment to respect the city’s status quo, in conformity with the pertinent United Nations Resolutions,” he said.

“Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, who venerate the Holy Sites of their respective religions there, and it has a special vocation to peace,” the pope added.

Last November, the pope met with the president of Israel in the Vatican to discuss Israeli-Palestinian relations as well as the “Jerusalem question.”

According to a Vatican press release, the two leaders discussed the resumption of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians “so as to reach an accord respecting the legitimate aspirations of both peoples” as well as “the Jerusalem question,” in its religious and human dimension for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The Jerusalem question entails “the importance of safeguarding its identity and vocation as City of Peace,” the communiqué stated.

In their joint appeal Saturday, the pope and the Moroccan president called for the protection and promotion of “the specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif.”

“It is our hope, therefore, that in the Holy City, full freedom of access to the followers of the three monotheistic religions and their right to worship will be guaranteed, so that in Jerusalem / Al-Quds Acharif they may raise their prayers to God, the Creator of all, for a future of peace and fraternity on the earth,” they said.</s>RABAT, Morocco — In what’s rapidly becoming the new papal normal, on the first day of his visit to Morocco Pope Francis once again surprised friends and foes alike by signing an appeal that wasn’t on his schedule, this time on Jerusalem – calling for the city to be preserved as a “patrimony of humanity,” where followers of the three monotheistic religions are free to worship.

“We consider it important to preserve the Holy City of Jerusalem/Al-Quds Acharif as the common patrimony of humanity, and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated,” says the short declaration signed by Pope Francis and King Mohammed VI.

Jerusalem’s multi-religious character, as well as the spiritual dimension and its particular cultural identity, must be “protected and promoted” so that Jews, Muslims and Christians all have “full freedom of access” and their “right to worship” is guaranteed, the two leaders said.

Francis and King Mohammed said that from this city, believers should be free to “raise their prayers to God, the creator of all, for a future of peace and fraternity on the earth.”

The appeal comes three days after the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, visited Mohammed VI seeking his support to preserve the custodianship the Jordanian leader currently exercises over the holy sites in Jerusalem, which he perceives to be threatened by President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Israel to Jerusalem.

Jordan’s monarchy has managed the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem since 1946. Jordan had control over East Jerusalem and the West Bank until they lost to Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Two decades later, the kingdom renounced claims to the territory, but the peace treaty signed in 1994 states that Israel will respect the role the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has over these sites in Jerusalem. It also says that when negotiations on the permanent status will take place, “Israel will give high priority to the Jordanian historic role in these shrines.”

Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League, the U.S., the European Union and Turkey all recognize Jordan’s custody of the Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem.

During his last trip, to United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis also signed a declaration that hadn’t been announced when the program for the trip was released. On that occasion, together with the Grand Imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, he signed a joint statement on “Human Fraternity” establishing the relationship between Catholics and Muslims as brothers, with a common mission to promote peace.

When it comes to the Holy Land, the Vatican supports a “two-state solution” with independence, recognition and secure borders for Israel and Palestine. The Holy See has consistently called for a special status for Jerusalem, particularly its Old City, in order to protect and guarantee access to the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In 2017, Pope Francis was part of a chorus of international leaders who criticized the decision from the Trump administration to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, expressing alarm that the announcement would provoke new tensions.

“I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days,” Francis said a few days after Trump announced he would move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “And at the same time, I wish to make a heartfelt appeal to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.”

“Jerusalem is a unique city,” Francis said at the time. “Sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, where the Holy Places for the respective religions are venerated, and it has a special vocation to peace.”

“I pray to the Lord that such identity be preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world, and that wisdom and prudence prevail, to avoid adding new elements of tension in a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts,” he said.</s>Pope Francis on Saturday arrived in the Moroccan capital Rabat for a two-day visit.

"THE UNION WILL BE STRONGER"

Moroccan King Mohammed VI received the Pope, who has made the first papal visit to Morocco since 1985. On Friday, Moroccan authorities announced that the meeting between King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis, "will contribute to the promotion of dialogue, understanding and coexistence between religions," adding that the visit comes upon an invitation of the [Moroccan] King.

In a statement, the Ministry of Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery described the visit as "historic," affirming that it would contribute to spreading the values of fraternity, peace and tolerance among peoples.

"The visit will be characterized by a series of intensive activities of the Moroccan monarch and his great guest," the statement read. The Pope would meet with some of the country's immigrants as part of his visit.</s>Pope Francis and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI declared Jerusalem the “common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions” “.his important declaration came during the pope’s visit to Rabat.

“The specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem… must be protected and promoted,” they said in a joint statement released by the Vatican.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump announced Washington’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2017, the pope, other Christian leaders and Muslim heads of state have stepped up their expressions of concern for the city.</s>RABAT, Morocco (CNS) — Ten days after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Jerusalem brought renewed attention to the status of the city, Pope Francis and King Mohammed VI of Morocco pleaded for international recognition of “the unique and sacred character of Jerusalem.”

In a joint declaration signed March 30 at the royal palace in Rabat, the pope and king said they were “deeply concerned” for the city’s “spiritual significance and its special vocation as a city of peace.”

Referring to the city as both Jerusalem and “Al-Quds Acharif,” its Arab name, the two leaders said it was important to preserve the city “as the common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated.”

“It is our hope, therefore, that in the holy city, full freedom of access to the followers of the three monotheistic religions and their right to worship will be guaranteed, so that in Jerusalem, Al-Quds Acharif, they may raise their prayers to God, the creator of all, for a future of peace and fraternity on the earth.”

The statement did not get into questions over political control of the city or even the ongoing international debate about moving other embassies to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

The Vatican supports a “two-state solution” for the Holy Land with independence, recognition and secure borders for both Israel and Palestine.

At the same time, the Vatican consistently has called for a special status for Jerusalem, particularly its Old City, in order to protect and guarantee access to the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Expressing his concern when President Trump announced the U.S. Embassy move in December 2017, Pope Francis said, “Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims who venerate the holy places of their respective religions, and has a special vocation to peace.”

Since the early 1990s, the Vatican has seen as separate issues the need for a special status for the city and questions over the political sovereignty or control of Jerusalem. The political question, it has insisted, must be the result of negotiation.

The internationally unsettled status of Jerusalem and its central importance to Jews, Muslims and Christians explains why, while recognizing the state of Israel, no nation had its embassy in the holy city.

When Trump changed that, Pope Francis prayed that “wisdom and prudence would prevail, to avoid adding new elements of tension in a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts.”

Copyright ©2019 Catholic News Service / U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Send questions about this site to cns@catholicnews.com</s>The Latest: Pope, king back Jerusalem for all religions

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The Latest on the Pope's trip to Morocco (all times local):

Pope Francis and Moroccan King Mohammed VI are calling for Jerusalem to be preserved as a symbol of peaceful coexistence and for Muslims, Jews and Christians to be allowed to worship there freely.

The two leaders issued a joint appeal on Saturday as Francis arrived in the Moroccan capital Rabat for an overnight visit.

The appeal said it was important to preserve the Holy City "as the common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions, as a place of encounter and as a symbol of peaceful coexistence, where mutual respect and dialogue can be cultivated."

Tensions erupted in late February over Israel's closure of a building at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

The walled compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock, is the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest site of Judaism.

Morocco's King Mohammed VI is calling for more religious dialogue between Muslims and Christians and says education is the answer to religious extremism.

Greeting Pope Francis on the pontiff's first visit to Morocco on Saturday, the king said challenging times are facing the world's religious community and require dialogue "for the sake of the future and that of the coming generations."

Reading segments of his speech in Arabic, French, Spanish and English, the king said: "We need to tackle these new ills, which feed on treachery as much as on the instrumentalization of the divine message. What all terrorists have in common is not religion but rather ignorance of religion."

Morocco has sought to become a voice of moderate Islam in the Muslim world.

Pope Francis is urging Morocco to continue offering migrants welcome and protection, saying at the start of a visit to the North African kingdom that the global migration crisis cannot be resolved by building walls, spreading fear or denying aid.

Francis arrived Saturday in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, which last year became the main destination for sub-Saharan African migrants seeking to reach Europe.

In a speech at the Hassan Tour complex, where two of Morocco's monarchs are buried, Francis told King Mohamed VI and government officials that he hoped Morocco would continue to be a model of humanity, welcome and protection for migrants seeking a better life.

He said: "The issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers, fomenting fear of others or denying assistance to those who legitimately aspire to a better life for themselves and their families."

Moroccan security agents have tackled a man who broke though security and ran toward King Mohammed VI as he and Pope Francis greeted crowds during an in-tandem motorcade parade in the Moroccan capital.

The man didn't reach the king, who seemed not to notice the disturbance on Saturday. The man appeared to be waving an envelope as he tried to snake his way between the motorcade vehicles before being tackled. His fate was unknown.

The incident occurred as the king was escorting Francis to the Hassan Tower complex for a formal welcome ceremony.

Francis is in Morocco for a quick trip to boost Christian-Muslim ties and show solidarity with the country's growing migrant community.

Pope Francis is praising Morocco's efforts to promote an Islam that repudiates extremism as he opens a quick trip to the North African kingdom that has tried to distinguish itself as a beacon of religious tolerance and moderation in the Muslim world.

King Mohamed VI welcomed Francis on Saturday as the pope began a visit aimed at encouraging Christian-Muslim ties and showing solidarity with Morocco's ever-growing migrant community.

In a speech to the king and Moroccan authorities at the Hassan Tower complex, Francis said it was "essential" for all believers to counter religious fanaticism and extremism with solidarity. He called religious extremism "an offense against religion and against God himself."

Later Saturday Francis is heading to a migrant welcome center run by the Caritas Catholic charity.

Pope Francis has arrived in Morocco for a trip aimed at highlighting the North African nation's tradition of Christian-Muslim ties, while also letting him show solidarity with migrants at Europe's door and tend to a tiny Catholic flock.

Francis will address the first two items Saturday, and the third when he wraps up the visit with a Mass and a meeting with Moroccan clergy on Sunday.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI was on hand to greet Francis when he landed under a pouring rain in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, for a 27-hour visit.

The highlight of the trip is likely to be Francis' visit Saturday to the Mohammed VI Institute, a school of learning for imams that epitomizes Morocco's efforts to promote a moderate brand of Islam and export it via preachers to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Pope Francis's weekend trip to Morocco aims to highlight the North African nation's tradition of Christian-Muslim ties while also letting him show solidarity with migrants at Europe's door and tend to a tiny Catholic flock on the peripheries.

Francis will address the first two items on the agenda Saturday when he begins his 27-hour visit to Rabat, the Moroccan capital. He'll tend to the third when he wraps up the visit with a Mass and a meeting with Moroccan clergy on Sunday.

The highlight of the trip is likely to be Francis' visit Saturday to the Mohammed VI Institute, a school of learning for imams that epitomizes Morocco's efforts to promote a moderate brand of Islam and export it via preachers to Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Morocco, a Sunni Muslim kingdom of 36 million, reformed its religious policies and education to limit the spread of fundamentalism in 2004, following terrorist bombings in Casablanca that killed 43 people.</s>Guards intercepted a man as he ran toward a car carrying the king of Morocco in a motorcade during the Pope’s visit to Rabat, the capital of the North African country.

Moroccan king Mohammed VI was waving to a large crowd as he stood in the car with much of his body visible when the man dashed toward him. It appears from a video that the man was carrying a piece of paper or envelope in an outstretched hand.

Security guards running alongside the vehicles stopped the man and took him away from the motorcade. Neither the king nor the pope was harmed.

POPE FRANCIS ISSUES NEW LAW REQUIRING VATICAN OFFICIALS TO REPORT SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS 'WITHOUT DELAY'

Pope Francis was riding parallel to the king about 30 yards away in his famous bulletproof white vehicle. The man did not approach him.

The incident occurred just after the Pope arrived on Sunday, as he was heading to a welcome ceremony at the Hassan Tower Complex.

The fate of the man who ran toward the king was not immediatley known.

Pope Francis is using his trip to Morocco to strengthen relations between Christians and Muslims there. On Friday, he tweeted about the need for respect and peace between both religious groups.

Francis took advantage of a speech in Morocco to explain that physical barriers won’t solve migration issues, and emphasize the need for social justice and rebalancing the world's wealth, according to the Washinton Post.</s>Watch how close a man got to the Moroccan king - with Pope Francis just yards away in the joint motorcade.

The man appears to break through a cordon as he ran towards King Mohamed VI in the Moroccan capital on Saturday.

Both the Moroccan king and the Pope appeared seemingly unaware of the incident.

The Pope was welcomed to Rabat for a visit aimed at encouraging Christian-Muslim ties and showing solidarity with Morocco’s ever-growing migrant community.
Pope Francis and Moroccan King Mohammed VI call for the protection of Jerusalem's multi-religious character, saying the city's sacred sites must be accessible to worshipers of all faiths.