Why is this even news? Of course Abbas was going to invite the Pope to visit at some point. John Paul II visited Bethlehem and met with Arafat during his 2000 Middle East trip, and received Arafat at the Vatican many times. Abbas is a hell of a lot more palatable than Arafat, and if things remain calm in the Middle East after the Gaza withdrawal, a trip could be possible. But visiting Israel would also have to be part of the itinerary.
One of global Catholicism's most prominent chroniclers, Rocco Palmo has held court as the "Church Whisperer" since 2004, when the pages you're reading were launched with an audience of three, grown since by nothing but word of mouth, and kept alive throughout solely by means of reader support.
A former US correspondent for the London-based international Catholic weekly The Tablet, he's been a church analyst for The New York Times, Associated Press, Washington Post, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, BBC, NBC, CNN and NPR among other mainstream print and broadcast outlets worldwide.
A native of Philadelphia, Rocco Palmo attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2010, he received a Doctorate of Humane Letters honoris causa from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St Louis.
In 2011, Palmo co-chaired the first Vatican conference on social media, convened by the Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications. By appointment of Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap., he's likewise served on the first-ever Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese, whose Church remains his home.
3 Comments:
If Benedict went, the fall out would be terrible.
Why is this even news? Of course Abbas was going to invite the Pope to visit at some point. John Paul II visited Bethlehem and met with Arafat during his 2000 Middle East trip, and received Arafat at the Vatican many times. Abbas is a hell of a lot more palatable than Arafat, and if things remain calm in the Middle East after the Gaza withdrawal, a trip could be possible. But visiting Israel would also have to be part of the itinerary.
Dpn't hold your breath, Rocco
Drudge seldom has sources in the accepted sense of that word.
-Richard
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