Complete peace process for Pope urges McAleese

COMPLETING the peace process in Ireland would be a way of fulfilling Pope John Paul’s wish to visit the whole of the island, President Mary McAleese said.

Ms McAleese, leading the Irish delegation at the Pope’s funeral in Rome, was sitting beside the Israeli president and witnessed his historic handshake with the presidents of Syria and Iran.

Israel is formally at war with Syria, while there are continuing fears Israel will strike at sites in Iran.

The handshake between Israel’s Moshe Katsav and Bashar al-Assad happened during the sign of peace at the concelebrated requiem Mass on the Basilica steps.

“It was great to see those two men shake hands for the first time at the sign of peace. John Paul’s legacy is still stirring, still revealing itself,” said Ms McAleese.

Mr Katsav told her he had grown up in the same town as the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. He extended his hand to him and Mr Katsav said in Farsi, “May peace be upon you.”

Ms McAleese spoke about the Pope’s legacy in helping to overthrow communism without violence and recalled the day in Drogheda he begged the men to find another way.

“He begged the men of violence on his knees and told them there is an alternative that is more powerful and that will not cause the damage but they did not seem to believe him.

“But that power revealed itself as country after country had their velvet revolution without lifting a hand in violence,” she said.

He was unable to travel to the North and never completed his visit to Ireland. “Maybe we could complete the peace and, in that way, he will complete his journey,” she said.

Ms McAleese sat close to the Basilica steps with 10 monarchs, 3 princes, 57 heads and 17 heads of government during the Mass.

“I do not think the world has ever seen anything like this. It was an incomparable day and a privilege to be here,” she said.