Recognizing the Rights of All People is Important: Pope

Pope Francis stressed the importance of dialogue and “recognizing the rights of all people” in the Holy Land in an address to Palestinians.

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The Pontiff made the remark ahead of an official announcement on Jerusalem by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump stated, on Tuesday, that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but did not mention whether the Middle Eastern country's U.S. embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to the “new” lead city. numerous speculative reports suggest that the American head of state will establish Jerusalem's only embassy. 

Pope Francis also had a discussion, regarding the moves being made by the United States, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.

“The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind,” he said.

The Pope made comments to a group of visiting Palestinians involved in inter-religious dialogue with the Vatican.

He spoke of having open communication and holding talks between differing religions “and also in civil society.”

“The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognizing the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be,” he said.

Trump is expected to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and set in motion the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to the ancient city, senior U.S. officials said, a decision that upends decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East.

Pope Francis said he was "profoundly concerned" and appealed for the status quo of Jerusalem to be respected and for "wisdom and prudence" to prevail.

He said: "I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world - and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts."