In Brief John Paul II Greets Palestinian President Arafat Receives Committee of "Bethlehem 2000" International Forum
Conference regarding the project to transform Bethlehem into an attractive pilgrimage location concludes as it prepares for the Pope's visit.
VATICAN CITY: (Innovative Media, Inc.) - The United Nations Conference on the "Bethlehem 2000" project, which ended this week at the FAO headquarters in Rome, was the common denominator of two papal audiences.
Yasser Arafat, president of the National Palestinian Authority, came to Rome for the opening of the conference and to address aspects of the "Bethlehem 2000" project, an ambitious program financed by the European Union, the United Nations, and several governments and private entities.
The Bethlehem project will build the infrastructure necessary to transform the city of Jesus' birth into an attractive place for the pilgrims of the Jubilee.
Arafat expressed his satisfaction with the idea, although he emphasized that Bethlehem is still not a free city; it continues to be surrounded by old and new Jewish settlements. Arafat reiterated his invitation to the pontiff to visit Bethlehem, where the pope's presence is greatly anticipated. John Paul II accepted the invitation, which was first made during the Palestinian president's last visit. This was Arafat's seventh visit to the Holy See. His first was in 1982, and his most recent visit was last June.
An Article from:
World News and Prophecy: March 1999
Course Content
Darris McNeely
Darris McNeely is a retired elder in the United Church of God. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 53 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris continues teaching at Ambassador Bible Center and is a member of the Council of Elders. Darris and Debbie continue to travel and keep up with the many friends and relationships around the world.
David Palmer
Born in Saskatchewan Canada, David Palmer was first introduced to the radio broadcast of the World Tomorrow during his career in broadcasting, when the program was aired during his on air shift. In 1965 his radio career took him to Vancouver British Columbia, where he was eventually baptized, and began attending Sabbath services. He was ordained to the ministry in 1983. Now retired from broadcasting David currently pastors congregations in Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. He is also a member of the UCG-Canada National Council, and serves on the Canadian Ministerial Services Team, as well as the Canadian Media Team
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Phil Schafer
No Bio Info Available
