VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis says he hopes his prayer summit with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents will mark "a new journey" toward peace in the Middle East.
Francis spoke during an evening of Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers in the Vatican gardens, where he was joined by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The pope said too many children have been killed by war. He said the memory of those innocent deaths should instill in all the courage, strength and patience to work for peaceful dialogue and coexistence.
He said: "Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict."
Francis spoke during an evening of Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers in the Vatican gardens, where he was joined by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The pope said too many children have been killed by war. He said the memory of those innocent deaths should instill in all the courage, strength and patience to work for peaceful dialogue and coexistence.
He said: "Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict."