Pope plans to travel to Holy Land in May

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY

Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to the Holy Land aims to boost relations with Orthodox Christians. But the three-day visit in May also underscores Francis’ close ties to the Jewish community, his outreach to Muslims and the Vatican’s long-standing call for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The announcement was made Sunday just as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a new U.S. bid for peace.

Francis told thousands gathered in the rain for his weekly Sunday blessing that he would visit Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem May 24-26. It is the only papal trip confirmed so far for 2014 and the second foreign trip of Francis’ pontificate, after his 2013 visit to Brazil for World Youth Day.

Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, will be the fourth pope to visit the Holy Land after Paul VI’s landmark visit in 1964.

In his Christmas address, Francis singled out the Holy Land for prayers, saying “Bless the land where you chose to come into the world, and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.”

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio — now Pope Francis — made interreligious dialogue a top priority, hosting an annual interfaith ceremony in the Argentine capital’s cathedral to promote religious harmony and writing a book on faith with his good friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka.

“We are hoping for a new glimmer of light from this visit in relations with the Orthodox, with Muslims and Jews,” Monsignor William Shomali, auxiliary bishop in Jerusalem, told Vatican Radio on Sunday.

All three governments welcomed the papal visit.

Francis said his prime aim was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and the then-spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Atengora.