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American Morning

Pope Travels to Middle East

Aired May 07, 2001 - 11:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East today, Pope John Paul II issues an appeal for peace. The pope, during a visit to a church in Quneitra in the Golan Heights, called on the region's people to be merciful and forgive past wrongs.

John Paul's trip to Syria is a part of a three-nation tour to retrace the steps of the apostle Paul. After his visit to the Golan Heights, the pope returned to Damascus.

CNN's Brent Sadler joins us now on the phone from the Syrian capital. Brent, what's the latest with this visit?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, Pope John Paul II has made war and peace in the volatile Middle East a crucial theme of his visit to Syria. Israeli-Palestinian hostilities and spiraling bloodshed appeared high on his mind when he paid an historic visit to the Syrian side of the mostly Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The pope's appearance on the Golan at the ruined town of Quneitra took place in one of the most bitterly contested pieces of territory in the region. Thousands of Syrians came out to greet him. Many of them once lived in the town which Israeli troops reportedly destroyed piece by piece before handing the land back to Syria under a United Nations disengagement agreement 27 years ago.

The pope prayed for peace at an abandoned Greek Orthodox Church within eyesight of Israeli occupation forces holding high ground on the Golan. The head of the Roman Catholic Church didn't come here, though, to take sides from this place so disfigured by war. He said he wished to raise his voice in prayer for peace in the holy land.

Later, in Damascus, the pope continued his pilgrimage in the footsteps in the apostle Saint Paul. The pope's attempts to improve interfaith unity in the Eastern Mediterranean appear to have met with considerable success here in Syria.

But as the four-day stage of the Syrian part of the pope's journey draws to close, it's clear he's using his spiritual role to try and help ease growing tensions and violence here in the Middle East -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brent, the pope is using his spiritual role and making a lot of firsts here, from formal apologies to stepping inside this mosque. Is he making a difference? Can he make a difference? And are people listening to this man with regard to pushing for peace in the Middle East more so...

SADLER: Well, I...

PHILLIPS: ... than, say, a negotiator at a table?

SADLER: Well, that's a very good point, Kyra. He's made a number of firsts in the region, apologizing to the Orthodox Church for the past sins of the Catholic Church, appearing inside a mosque for the first time to reach out to Muslims to improve relations, and now calling for peace in this very volatile part of this Middle East territory on the Golan Heights.

But, of course, even though parts of the trip have been controversial in view of what the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, had to say about historical persecution of Christians by Jews and likening it to today's situation in the Middle East, which has drawn some condemnation from Israel and, indeed, France today, the pope's prayers, although meaningful, although respected, are going to have very little impact, it would seem, in terms of what the politicians are having to say and the actions of what is taking place on the ground between the various sides -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. His physical strength has been quite impressive also. Brent Sadler joining us on the phone from the Syrian capital. Thank you.

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