NEW YORK TIMES: ON EASTER, POPE PONDERS LIFE, DEATH, AND RECONCILIATION

On Easter, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the devastating earthquake that hit Italy last week and called for increased efforts at reconciliation between Israel and her Arab neighbors.  The Pope will visit the Holy Land in a few weeks. 

In his “urbi et orbi” message on Sunday, which comments on current events, Benedict said that “reconciliation — difficult, but indispensable — is a precondition for a future of overall security and peaceful coexistence” in the Middle East.

Question to the Blogosphere:  What should be the Pope’s role in the conflicts in the Middle East?  Do you think that he could be a neutral third party that can help the parties communicate and find common ground; or is he a polarizing figure for those in the Middle East?  Pope John Paul II had a great political impact on the course of the fall of the Soviet Union, but do you think the Pope is seen in the same way in the Middle East as he was in Central and Eastern Europe?  Do you think it is necessary for parties to reconcile to live in peace?  Is peace possible without common ground?