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  • The Vatican has billed the Pope's visit to the Holy Land as strictly religious but Francis

  • didn't leave out politics entirelycalling for an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

  • The trip was part of the Pope's three-day visit to the Middle East with the purpose

  • of improving ties with the Orthodox Church. (Via ABC)

  • BBC reports Palestinians were pleased he was the first Pope to travel directly to the Palestinian

  • territories rather than passing through Israel first — a move some analysts consider his

  • way of recognizing the Palestinian state.

  • And notably, the Pope has referred to the region as "the State of Palestine" — a term

  • both the U.S. and Israel reject.

  • "If you talk to his aides, they say that he visited with the head of the State of Palestine,

  • President Mahmoud Abbas​. And he's also spent time to highlight the plight of Palestinians."

  • (Via Al Jazeera)

  • Israel has historically opposed Palestinian efforts to seek statehood, and Palestine,

  • in turn, has refused to recognize the Jewish state. (via CBS)

  • But as CNN notes, the Pontiff called for both sides to band together to find peace in what

  • he calls an "unacceptable" conflict.

  • He added, "I can only express my profound hope that all will refrain from initiatives

  • and actions which contradict the stated desire to reach a true agreement, and that peace

  • will be pursued."

  • Now, the official purpose of the trip is for Pope Francis to mend ties with the Orthodox

  • church and promote Christian unity.

  • According to The Wall Street Journal, Pope Francis pushed for more Christian communities

  • in an area where Christians face difficulties for their beliefs and often flee to neighboring

  • countries.

  • Pope Francis' first leg of his trip began in Jordan with many Christian refugees in

  • attendance when he called attention to Syria's ongoing civil war and urged for a peaceful

  • solution to the crisis. (Via Rome Reports SaveFrom.net)

  • Meanwhile, many Jews have been protesting on holy site Mount Zion, the location the

  • Jewish faith believes to be King David's final resting place, and Christians see as the site

  • where Jesus held his Last Supper. (Via Flickr / israeltourism)

  • The Times Of Israel reports those protests have taken an anti-Christian undertone ahead

  • of the Pope's impending visit and planned mass Sunday, and restraining orders were issued

  • to ease tensions.

  • Pope Francis is set to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Tel Aviv before continuing

  • on to Jerusalem where he will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unity of the Catholic

  • and Orthodox churches.

The Vatican has billed the Pope's visit to the Holy Land as strictly religious but Francis

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