His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was conferred
a Doctorate in Theology, Honoris Causa by the Faculty of
Theology of Paderborn, Westphalia (Germany) on Monday, May 9th. The
Faculty announced on January 4th that the highest representative of
the Catholic Church in the Holy Land would receive this
honor for his great commitment to peace and reconciliation between
religions and peoples of the Middle East.
A tribute to
the Patriarch was delivered by the former Israeli ambassador to
Germany, Avi Primor. He stated that "one could hardly find
a man more worthy of this honor. I congratulate Patriarch
Twal Bishop Twal for this award and all those who
made that decision." He particularly emphasized the care with
which the Patriarch worked to build schools, universities and hospitals
in the Holy Land. The former ambassador highlighted the Patriarch’s
efforts to overcome prejudices among peoples and religions. Patriarch Twal
dedicated the award to “all men of goodwill, the Middle
East and the international community who are committed to building
bridges of mutual understanding.” In accepting the honor, he then
said: "I think we Christian Arabs have an important role
in the peace process. As Arabs, we have the same
traditions, culture and language as our Muslim neighbors. At the
same time we are Christians and have a Christian culture,
which can perhaps be called Western culture. A possible bridge
between Jews and Arabs caught in the conflict. There is
a lack of attention on the part of the international
community to recognize the role that we Christians have to
play here. "
The Patriarch received many wishes and accolades,
particularly from Professor Eckhard who donated €5, 000 for the
Catholic university in Madaba (the Patriarch’s hometown in Jordan). Pope
Benedict XVI during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in
2009, blessed the cornerstone of the university.
More than 40
Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulchre attended the Mass and awarding ceremony.
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