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 The BBC's Jeremy Bowen"It was a sight unprecedented in Jerusalem's long and bloody history."  real 28k  The BBC's Hilary Andersson in Jerusalem"The Pope's success in negotiating the political minefield of the region has given his central message more resonance"  real 28k |
The Pope visited three of Jerusalem's most sacred sites on the last day of his pilgrimage.
At the Western Wall - Judaism's holiest site - he held a trembling hand to the ancient stones and begged God's forgiveness for the suffering of Jews throughout history.
We wish to commit ourselves to genuine brotherhood with the people of the Convenant  |
The Pope's prayer
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The site - sacred to Muslims and Jews alike - is home to the Dome of the Rock mosque, and is known to Jews as the Temple Mount for the biblical temples that once stood there.
There, he was greeted by the top Islamic cleric, or mufti, in Jerusalem, Ikrema Sabri, who urged the Pope to help "end the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem".
Israel controls east Jerusalem, the area claimed by Palestinians as the capital of a future state.
 The Pope kisses the stone on which Christ's body was washed
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As the pontiff negotiated the narrow lanes of the walled Old City in a custom-designed Popemobile, Palestinian schoolchildren cheered and released balloons in the colours of their flag.
For the first time in centuries, the Greek Orthodox Church agreed to reschedule Sunday services to enable the Pope's service to take place.
He chose to celebrate a mass of penance to mark the third week of Lent.
Clerics from orthodox churches attended the service, and took communion from an altar erected over the stone where tradition holds that Christ's dead body was anointed by mourners.
Peace prayer
At the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, the Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Rabbi Michael Melchior announced that Israel would set up a forum to promote peace between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Click here for a map of the Pope's route
The Pope's written plea for forgiveness, which he placed in a crack in the Wall, was the same as that included in a historic apology made at the Vatican on 12 March.
"God of our fathers, you chose Abraham and his descendants to
bring your name to the nations," the prayer said.
 Security was tight in Jerusalem's Old City
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The prayer will be put on display in Jerusalem's Holocaust Museum, government spokesman Moshe Fogel said.
During the visit, some 20,000 security personnel were deployed in Israel's biggest ever peace-time security operation.
Israeli public television said several right-wing extremists had been arrested by police for attempting to protest against the Pope's visit to the Wall.
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