Pope Francis to land in politically sensitive West Bank

[News Manager]

By Crispian Balmer BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Pope Francis flies to the West Bank on Sunday to start the most delicate part of his stay in the Middle East, with visits to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, where his every word will be scrutinized. However, the dividing lines of the generations-old Middle East conflict will be impossible to ignore. Francis will fly straight by helicopter to Bethlehem, becoming the first pontiff to travel directly to the West Bank rather than enter via Israel - a decision hailed by Palestinian officials as a recognition of their push for full statehood. The Pope is due to celebrate an open-air Mass in Bethlehem's Manger Square, close to where Christians believe Jesus was born.




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[dadsgirl]

The Meeting of Stubborn Minds

Just can't wait until that meeting with the Pope, Sheres and Abbas to be over with ...like to be a fly on that wall! This is going to prove interesting!