| Jerusalem holy sites need special status says Vatican cardinal |
| by: AFP | Updated: 05/Dec/2011 16:14 |
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VATICAN CITY (AFP)---Peace negotiations in the Middle East must tackle the issue of the status of the holy sites, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Vatican's Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said.
"There will not be peace if the question of the holy sites is not adequately resolved," the Holy See's former Foreign Minister said in response to a question on Jerusalem and the Israel-Palestinian problem at a Rome conference.
"Unfortunately, up to now, the question has never been on the negotiating table in Washington or in Jerusalem. It's practically just the Holy See who is concerned about it," he said.
Although critics claim the question of responsibility for Muslim or Jewish sites such as the Dome of the Rock or the Western Wall would complicate already difficult peace talks, Tauran says not discussing it "only puts the issue off".
"The part of Jerusalem within the walls -- with the holy sites of the three religions -- is humanity's heritage, as each has its roots there," he said in reference to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Read the rest on:
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