“The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders… I know how much you have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the turmoil that has afflicted this land for decades. My heart goes out to all the families who have been left homeless,”the Pope told his audience at the presidential palace.

He also said that he was praying for victims of the violence in Gaza earlier this year.

61 black balloons were released at the camp to represent the number of years the conflict has been raging. The name of a destroyed or abandoned Palestinian village was carried to the sky with each balloon.

As the solemn reminders drifted above, the Pope made his way through the archway memorial commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Naqba, what the Palestinians call the “catastrophe” of Israel’s founding.

The archway is also the home of the largest key in the world, a symbol of the keys of all the homes that Palestinian refugees where displaced from during the Israeli War of Independence.

March 14 the Pope will be meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Nazareth. Perhaps we can all travel with him in our thoughts; faith or creed aside, we can all send fellow thoughts of peace.