BETHLEHEM
Pope Francis on Sunday invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to visit the Vatican and join him in praying for peace.
"I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace," he said, addressing thousands who had congregated at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
"I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer," added the pontiff.
Pope Francis started a visit to the central West Bank city of Bethlehem earlier on Sunday.
He has already met with Abbas and is scheduled to meet Peres during his visit to Israel.
He is also expected to visit Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) where he will visit Al-Aqsa Mosque as well as some Christian sites.
"All of us – especially those placed at the service of their respective peoples – have the duty to become instruments and artisans of peace, especially by our prayers," said Pope Francis.
"Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is a constant torment. The men and women of these lands, and of the entire world, all of them, ask us to bring before God their fervent hopes for peace," he added.
Abbas has reiterated Palestinian commitment to a peace initiative proposed by Arab countries in 2002 guaranteeing Arab recognition of Israel in return for Israel's pullout from occupied Palestinian territories.
"The initiative makes it necessary for Arab countries to recognize Israel and establish normal relations with it if it withdraws from Palestinian territories," he told a press conference with Pope Francis earlier in the day.
Abbas said he had briefed the pontiff about developments in peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis and also about stumbling blocks on the way of peace.
He cited the notorious separation barrier built by Israel across the occupied Palestinian territories.
By Qais Abu Samra
www.aa.com.tr/en
