"There are gestures that come from the heart, in that precise instant ..." This is how Pope Francis answered two weeks ago after being asked how that tribute, with a kiss on the hand of the survivors of the Holocaust in Yad Vashem, was born. And it is in this way that, during a short trip to the Holy Land last May, Bergoglio had the idea of bringing together in prayer the leaders of the two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian. The dream could not come true on-site, but the Pope did not give up, and so he invited Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas to his home.

Praying for peace in the Holy Land alongside leaders of long-antagonistic nations, Pope Francis called on God to act where human efforts had failed, to end what he described as violence inspired by the devil.

"More than once we have been on the verge of peace, but the evil one, employing a variety of means, has succeeded in blocking it," the pope said June 8 at an evening ceremony in the Vatican Gardens. "That is why we are here, because we know and we believe that we need the help of God."

Catholics, other Christians and other believer are joining Pope Francis and the Presidents of Israel and Palestine this evening in praying for peace in the Holy Land, asking God’s assistance where human efforts have failed over 66 years to bring a lasting peace there.

Pope Francis has a dream that one day, in the not so distant future, Israelis and Palestinians will live together, in separate independent states, in peace, security, and mutual respect, as befits the sons and daughters of the one Merciful God in whom he and the vast majority of them believe.

Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew and the Presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas pray for peace between Israelis and Palestinians: «Our children are tired and worn out by conflict. More than once we were close to peace, but evil, by various means, managed to prevent it.»

Pope Francis has said that he was “struck” by the generosity of the Jordanian people in welcoming Syrian refugees: “the many who flee from war in that area”.

According to Father Imad Twal, a Jordanian priest who attended Wednesday Mass, in which the Pontiff shared his pilgrimage experience in Jordan and Palestine, Pope Francis reiterated his call on the world to help Jordan carry out its humanitarian mission.

Pope Francis' June 8 meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents will be a religious, not a political, occasion and should not raise hopes for immediate resumption of peace talks between the two nations, said the principal coordinator of the gathering.

Politics and spirituality do not always go hand in hand, not even in the quest for peace, but most certainly the religious aspect can summon unsuspected resources and cross what might appear as otherwise unsurmountable boundaries – as foreseen by Pope Francis when he extended his invitation to President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas during his recent visit to Jerusalem.

Jordan offers sights to delight pilgrims and explorers alike.
“If there’s only one nation in the sky, shouldn’t all passports be valid for it?” The answer to this question posed by Yann Martel in his bestselling novel Life of Pi came to us from our Jordanian tour guide Salah. Proudly sporting a shirt that says, ‘No use for a Name.’ Salahuddin aka Salah is a testament to Jordan’s reputation as a harmonious melting pot of religions and cultures. He tells us that his father is a Muslim, while his grandfather, a Jew.

The Ecumenical Patriarch has accepted the invitation extended by Pope Francis and will be in the Vatican with Presidents Mahmoud Abbas and Shimon Peres.

At the encounter to pray for peace in the Holy Land, called by Pope Francis at the Vatican on June 8, there will be also the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. Vatican Insider received this confirmation from authoritative sources of the patriarchy. The decision will be made ​​official most likely tomorrow, after the meeting of the synod during which the patriarch will present the initiative.