When Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew meet in Jerusalem on May 25-26, 2014, they will recall the meeting of their predecessors Pope Paul IV and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in the same city in 1964. In the midst of prayer and recollection in the Holy Places, the leaders of the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church will give thanks to God for the dramatic change in the relationship between their churches in the past fifty years. They will recall the prayer of the Lord for this disciples ‘that they all be one' (John 17:21).

In January 1964 Pope Paul VI embarked on his visit to Jesus’ homeland, where the great embrace with the Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras, took place. Here is the story of his historic trip.

Jerusalem’s Bishop Shomali said everyone is allowed to travel to Bethlehem for the Pope’s Mass, but people in Jerusalem are unhappy because security prevents them getting close to him.

Jordanians, inspired by the genuine welcoming wordings of their Monarch Abdullah II, of their official representatives and of different Christians entities operating in Jordan and motivated by the friendly and rewarding relationship between Jordan and the Holy See, rejoice to have the privilege of hosting for the fourth time the head of the Holy See, the Messenger of Truth and the guardian of St. Peter’s legacy.

On an upcoming trip to the Middle East, Pope Francis is expected to prioritize his visit with Palestinians, including a refugee camp, in a move interpreted by many as a 'recognition' of a future Palestinian state.

Many Christians in the Holy Land have had their hopes dashed: The Pope of the peripheries is about to arrive and they won’t get to see him.

On Pope Francis' first trip to the Holy Land, May 24-26, his agenda will focus on the search for Christian unity, particularly between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. But inevitably, in a region so rich in history and so fraught with conflict, he will address other urgent issues, including dialogue with Jews and Muslims, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the plight of the Middle East's shrinking Christian population.

The significance of where Jesus was believed to be baptized on the banks of the Jordan River beginning his public ministry is not lost on Arab Christians, deeply aware of their rich religious and cultural heritage.

Indeed, their Middle Eastern ancestors are counted among the world's earliest Christians and the guardians of the faith throughout the ages.

The Pope’s visit to the Holy Land (24-26 May) will be “very brief and very intense” as Paul VI’s visit was back in 1964. Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed this at a press conference, explaining that this was the reason why some parts of the trip which tend to be included in papal visits have been left out. Fr. Lombardi outlined some things which Francis and Paul VI’s visits have in common. Starting with the duration of the visit: 3 days.

There are just two weeks to go before Pope Francis’ arrival and the streets of Amman are already brimming with revelatory zeal: on what is going to be Francis’ fourth trip to the Holy Land, his visit to the Hashemite Kingdom is certainly not going to be a mere gesture of politeness, for the sake of following protocol. For King Abdullah II, the Argentinian Successor of Peter’s visit is going to be an event of key importance that will allow him to reaffirm the positive and strategic role Jordan intends to play in the Middle East, a region bloodied by sectarian conflicts.