jerusalem

VATICAN CITY — Following days of violence and backlash after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Vatican appealed for "wisdom and prudence" to prevail.

The Holy See "reiterates its own conviction that only a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians can bring a stable and lasting peace and guarantee the peaceful coexistence of two states within internationally recognized borders," the Vatican wrote in a statement Dec. 10.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis called on Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land to "moderation and dialogue" as tensions continued around a key site in Jerusalem that is sacred to both faiths.

After reciting the Angelus July 23, the pope asked pilgrims in St. Peter's Square for the midday prayer to join him in asking the Lord to inspire reconciliation and peace in the region.

JERUSALEM • Following a week that included Palestinians stabbing Israelis, bloody clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces, and despair rising on both sides, the parishioners of St. Saviour Church in the Old City of Jerusalem came to Mass Oct. 19 to pray, mainly for peace.

"We are very tired," said Margaret Injak, 63, who lives near the third station of the cross along the Via Dolorosa. "We are very afraid of the police, we are afraid of the Israelis, we are afraid of the Muslims. I am for peace; I want peace for all the world, just peace."

JERUSALEM -- Several pilgrim groups gathered in a sunny courtyard in Jerusalem's Old City. They were preparing to follow a tradition reaching back at least to the fifth century: walking along the Via Dolorosa, through the cobbled streets of Jerusalem's Old City.

VATICAN CITY -- Latin-rite Patriarch Faoud Twal of Jerusalem told reporters he expected to host Pope Francis on a visit to the Holy Land in May.

Listing "upcoming events for next year," Patriarch Twal began with "the pope's visit to the Holy Land planned for next May, first in Jordan, then in Israel-Palestine."