Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Israel on Monday for the start of a politically charged visit to the Jewish state and Palestinian territories.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Pope Benedict XVI is greeted by hundreds of people outside the Lady of Peace Church in Amman, Jordan, where he held a mass on his first trip as pontiff to an Arab state. In his address, the Pope underlined his "deep respect" for Islam, in an attempt to redress controversial remarks he made about the religion three years ago.
Saturday, May 9 2009
Pope Benedict and Jose Rodriguez Carballo, minister general of the Franciscan Order, stand beside The Staff of Moses in Jordan, the spot where God is believed to have shown Moses the Promised Land. The pontiff called for reconciliation between Christians and Jews during his visit to the Arab state.
Sunday, May 10 2009
Pope Benedict arrives at an open-air football stadium in Amman, where he celebrated a mass on the final day of his visit to Jordan.
Sunday, May 10 2009
Pope Benedict joins Jordan's King Abdullah and Queen Rania as they unveil a commemorative plaque at The Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. The pontiff on Sunday urged Christians in the Middle East to play a role in seeking peace.
Sunday, May 10 2009
Pope Benedict, accompanied by the Jordanian royal family (King Abdullah and Queen Rania are to his left), visits Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the spot on the Jordan River believed to be where Jesus was baptised.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict walks past Israel's national flag during a welcoming ceremony on his arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International airport. The pontiff on Monday began the most delicate part of his first trip to the Middle East, landing in Israel for a five-day tour that will take him to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict is greeted by Israel's President Shimon Peres at Ben Gurion International airport. The pontiff faces a challenge to win over Israelis, following his efforts to rehabilitate a bishop who questioned the scale of the Holocaust.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict delivers his address next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Shimon Peres, in front of various religious leaders during a welcome ceremony at Ben Gurion International airport.
Monday, May 11 2009
A Palestinian man spray-paints a welcome message on a wall next to a section of Israel's separation barrier in Aida refugee camp, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Monday, May 11 2009
An Israeli right-wing activist is carried away by border police officers during a protest against Pope Benedict's visit. Pope Benedict called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian homeland on his arrival in Israel on Monday, a stance that puts him at odds with some Israelis.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict lays a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem in memory of the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict embraces Israeli President Shimon Peres during the official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem. Mr Peres welcomed the pontiff to Israel in Latin, Hebrew, and English and said he was certain the visit marked "a continuation of dialogue" between Christians and Jews.
Monday, May 11 2009
Pope Benedict and Sheikh Taysir al-Tamimi, the head of the Palestinian Sharia court, sit during an interfaith gathering at the Notre Dame Church in Jerusalem. The Pope left the conference after al-Tamimi used the occasion to denounce Israel and its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Tuesday, May 12 2009
Pope Benedict prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on the second day of his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
