Pope Francis and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, spoke for 30 minutes at the Vatican on December 12, 2024. The Palestinian leader was also received by members of the Vatican Secretariat of State, who reiterated their firm condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed the Holy See's position in favor of a two-state solution for the Holy Land.
Exchanging gifts
Little was revealed of this seventh meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and Pope Francis. Among the gifts exchanged between the two men, the Palestinian president presented the Pope with a mixed media work of art depicting the Argentine pontiff praying against the Bethlehem wall during his trip in 2014.
This moment was one of the highlights of his visit to the Holy Land. Pope Francis stopped his car to rest his hand and forehead on the concrete separation wall built by Israel.
During Mahmoud Abbas's subsequent discussions with officials from the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Parolin and Archbishop Gallagher reiterated the Church's concern about the “extremely grave humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
The Vatican diplomatic representatives called for “a ceasefire” and “the release of all hostages as soon as possible.”
The Holy See’s unchanging positions
During their dialogues, the Secretariat of State reiterated the traditional positions of Holy See diplomacy, condemning all forms of terrorism and stating “the importance of achieving a two-state solution solely through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Cardinal Parolin and Archbishop Gallagher also stressed that Jerusalem must be protected by a special status so that the city “can be a place of encounter and friendship among the three great monotheistic religions.”
In Rome, President Abbas inaugurated a new embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See, he notes on his Facebook page. In 2017, in the wake of an agreement signed in 2015 by the Holy See and the State of Palestine, the latter opened its first embassy in Rome. His speech included a plea for the United Nations to recognize the State of Palestine as a full member. In November 2012, Palestine was admitted as an observer state.
The meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and the Pope comes as the latter is due to receive Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday morning. Earlier this month, the Pope welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
