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| Pope Francis hosts joint Israel-Palestinian peace prayer | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Pope Francis is set to host Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a joint prayer meeting at the Vatican. | Pope Francis is set to host Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a joint prayer meeting at the Vatican. |
| Israeli President Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, are coming together to pray for peace in the Middle East. | Israeli President Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, are coming together to pray for peace in the Middle East. |
| Pope Francis issued the invitation on his recent trip to the Holy Land. | Pope Francis issued the invitation on his recent trip to the Holy Land. |
| The Pope has stressed that the Vatican is not seeking to get involved in peace negotiations between the two sides, which collapsed in acrimony in April. | The Pope has stressed that the Vatican is not seeking to get involved in peace negotiations between the two sides, which collapsed in acrimony in April. |
| But he said he hoped that the meeting - which correspondents say is unprecedented - would create an atmosphere that would help the eventual resumption of talks. | But he said he hoped that the meeting - which correspondents say is unprecedented - would create an atmosphere that would help the eventual resumption of talks. |
| Vatican officials insist there is no ulterior political motive behind Pope Francis' invitation to the presidents to pray together in the Vatican gardens and no concrete initiatives are expected. | Vatican officials insist there is no ulterior political motive behind Pope Francis' invitation to the presidents to pray together in the Vatican gardens and no concrete initiatives are expected. |
| "No-one is presumptuous enough to think peace will break out on Monday," Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa - in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organiser of the prayer meeting - told Reuters. | "No-one is presumptuous enough to think peace will break out on Monday," Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa - in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organiser of the prayer meeting - told Reuters. |
| Mr Abbas said in an interview with La Repubblica: "The Pope's invitation was courageous, With this prayer we are sending a message to all believers of the three major religions and the others - the dream of peace must not die." | Mr Abbas said in an interview with La Repubblica: "The Pope's invitation was courageous, With this prayer we are sending a message to all believers of the three major religions and the others - the dream of peace must not die." |
| Mr Peres said: "The spiritual call is very important and affects reality. I hope the event will contribute to promoting peace between the two sides and throughout the world." | Mr Peres said: "The spiritual call is very important and affects reality. I hope the event will contribute to promoting peace between the two sides and throughout the world." |
| Minute detail | Minute detail |
| Mr Peres and Mr Abbas know each other well - they signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993. | Mr Peres and Mr Abbas know each other well - they signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993. |
| The Israeli president occupies a largely ceremonial position and has no formal role in peace talks. He is due to leave office at the end of this month. | The Israeli president occupies a largely ceremonial position and has no formal role in peace talks. He is due to leave office at the end of this month. |
| But officials say that the Israeli government backs his trip to the Vatican and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in "constant contact" with him. | But officials say that the Israeli government backs his trip to the Vatican and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in "constant contact" with him. |
| Sunday's prayer event has been organised in minute detail and comprises Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers which will be offered near St Peter's Basilica. | Sunday's prayer event has been organised in minute detail and comprises Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers which will be offered near St Peter's Basilica. |
| Officials say the prayers will be offered in the chronological order of the founding of the three religions. | Officials say the prayers will be offered in the chronological order of the founding of the three religions. |
| The holding of such a ceremony is likely to add to the Pope's reputation, correspondents say, as someone who is unconstrained by diplomatic and theological niceties when it comes to advancing the causes of diplomacy and peace. | The holding of such a ceremony is likely to add to the Pope's reputation, correspondents say, as someone who is unconstrained by diplomatic and theological niceties when it comes to advancing the causes of diplomacy and peace. |
| The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the pontiff has often bypassed the formal machinery that normally conducts Vatican foreign policy. | The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the pontiff has often bypassed the formal machinery that normally conducts Vatican foreign policy. |