Ended a few days the visit of Benedict XVI to the holy sites of Christianity in the Near East, a visit that was supposed to be of historic significance since it was the first papal journey of Joseph Ratzinger to the Holy Land. However, if this trip was certainly an important event, has not had the impact and symbolic value that was the visit of his predecessor, John Paul II in 2000 - as many observers have pointed out. Although Benedict XVI had described the trip as a "spiritual pilgrimage", it has inevitably become the political valences, in a land that never ceases to be torn apart by a conflict that has dragged on now for several decades. The different stages of the papal trip

have been accompanied by debate, widely reported by the media, on the main issues that characterize the relationship of the Catholic Church with the other great monotheistic faiths. The Jordanian stage was completed successfully thanks to the warm welcome of the Christian community Jordanian (one of the better integrated in the Middle East), and the dialogue with local authorities, which has not been spoiled so much by the claims of some Islamic currents wishing to receive further apology from the pope for the unfortunate lesson that he held in Regensburg in 2006. The Israeli stage was dominated by difficult relations between the Vatican and the Jewish state, and had as central moment of the pope's visit to Yad Vashem, which is described by many commentators Israelis "a missed opportunity" because of the demeanor of the pope, considered too cold and detached. Finally, the stage in the Palestinian Territories has inevitably brought the attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and was accompanied by the proper appreciation of the Arab press for the open position taken by Benedict XVI for a Palestinian state. But it is precisely for this reason that the visit of the pope has been analyzed by many observers not because of its value in itself, but rather for the possibility that this visit constituted an introduction of good omen for the coming political meetings between the President and the American leaders of the region (starting from last Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu) to give new impetus to the peace process. Finally, another effect of the papal trip was to attract attention, albeit momentarily, on the situation of Middle Eastern Christian communities, which are sadly disappearing as a result of emigration very strong, fueled by war, economic difficulties and the hope for a better life.