Pope meets Palestinian leader, supports separate state

(June 4, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI met Friday with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. During their discussion the Pontiff underlined the need for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Vatican announced. Such a solution, the Vatican statement added, would include “the attainment of the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations for an independent state.” Pope Benedict also mentioned his hope that Palestinian officials and their Vatican counterparts will soon conclude an agreement establishing the legal rights of the Church in the Palestinian territories. He expressed concerns about the status of Christians in the Middle East and in the Palestinian territories in particular.