Pope Francis eyes religious reconciliation on trip to Holy Land

[rug]

Josephine McKenna | May 21, 2014

VATICAN CITY (RNS) It sounds a little far-fetched and for some purists perhaps unthinkable: A pope, a rabbi and a sheik decide to travel to the Holy Land and follow in the steps of Jesus.

Drawing of the marketplace in Bethlehem Holy Land (i.e. West Bank). Photo courtesy of Snapshots Of The Past, via Wikimedia Commons

But that is just one of the groundbreaking aspects of Pope Francis’ three-day visit to the Middle East that starts on Saturday (May 24), a visit in which he hopes to shore up interfaith dialogue, strengthen diplomatic relations and find new ways to build peace.

The Argentina-born pope will be accompanied by colleagues Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Sheik Omar Abboud, both from Buenos Aires. It is the first time a pope’s official delegation has included members of other faiths on an overseas trip.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/05/21/pope-francis-eyes-religious-reconciliation-trip-holy-land/

[rug]

2. That's Saul Alinsky and I think you've taken a right turn.