Palestinian President invites Pope to Holy Land

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas invited Pope Francis to visit the Holy Land Thursday, according to AFP.

Abbas spoke to Vatican Foreign Affairs official Dominique Mambert at the Vatican extending the invitation to Palestine to the Pope accordingly.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expecting a visit from the Pope Wednesday next week after Israeli President Shimon Peres extended a similar invitation to the head of the catholic church earlier this year.

Francis has already stated that he wished to visit the Holy Land, but the Vatican has not yet confirmed the trip.

Abbas is the fourth Middle East leader to meet Pope Francis after Peres, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and King Abdullah II of Jordan.