Pope's Holy Land Pilgrimage

Family in focus as Pope celebrates Mass at Nazareth Pope Benedict XVI put the spotlight on family life as he celebrated Mass at Nazareth on May 14. Noting that the Catholic Church in the Holy Land is completing a "Year of the Family," the Pope encouraged the faithful to draw inspiration from the hidden life of the young Jesus with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, and (as Pope Paul VI had suggested) "to contemplate ever anew the silence and love of the Holy Family." The Pope's homily addressed domestic life rather than political issues. While he concentrated on the need for a revitalization of family life, he did make a pointed observation about "the duty of the State to support families in their mission of education, to protect the institution of the family and its inherent rights, and to ensure that all families can live and flourish in conditions of dignity." Netanyahu and Pope discuss peace process, Iran Pope Benedict XVI met on May 14 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for a private conversation that was "centered on how the peace process can be advanced," according to a papal spokesman