Pope Francis praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as an “angel of peace” during a private audience at the Vatican.
Francis made the compliment Saturday during an exchange of gifts at the end of the audience. He presented Abbas with a medallion and explained that it represented the angel of peace “destroying the bad spirit of war.”
Francis said he thought the gift was appropriate since “you are an angel of peace.”
Earlier this week, the Vatican announced the signing of a treaty recognizing a ''State of Palestine’’, a step that drew Israeli criticism and stirred alarm that an activist Pope Francis was advancing the Palestinian cause at Israel’s expense.
The agreement, being finalized in Rome by a group called the Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine, “deals with essential aspects of the life and activity of the Catholic Church in Palestine,” according to a joint statement posted on the Vatican’s Web site. Palestinians said the accord addresses such matters as properties, taxes and protocol at holy sites.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has ssued a statement saying it was “disappointed.”
“Israel heard with disappointment the decision of the Holy See to agree [to] a final formulation of an agreement with the Palestinians including the use of the term ‘Palestinian State,’ ” an unnamed Israeli Foreign Ministry official said in a statement.
“Such a development does not further the peace process and distances the Palestinian leadership from returning to direct bilateral negotiations,” the official added.