Vatican City, Dec 17, 2012 / 12:25 pm
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Dec. 17 with the Pope and expressed his thanks for the Holy See's support after Palestine was recognized as a state by the United Nations.
Abbas met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace after the Vatican welcomed the U.N. General Assembly's Nov. 29 vote to recognize Palestine as a "non-member observer state."
According to a Dec. 17 Vatican statement, discussions between the leaders also included the topic of Middle Eastern Christian communities and their "contribution to the common good of society in the region."
Abbas spoke privately with the Pope for nearly half an hour before meeting with Vatican diplomats, including secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the secretary for relations with states, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.