Pope Francis Inaugurates First Palestinian Embassy to the Holy See

abbas-pope-francis-640x480This weekend Pope Francis received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Vatican and formally inaugurated the new Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See.

Abbas met with the pontiff at the Vatican for some 20 minutes on Saturday just before the opening of diplomatic offices on Via di Porta Angelica, just outside the Vatican City, in a building that also houses the embassies of Peru, Ecuador and Burkina Faso.

The new Palestinian embassy, said Abbas, “is a sign that the Pope loves the Palestinian people and peace.” The Vatican recognized the state of Palestine about a year and a half ago.   Continue reading