Pope and Middle East leaders pray for peace
Written by Najib

 Francis says Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas must respond to yearning for peace, after joint prayer meeting at Vatican.

Pope Francis has told the Israeli and Palestinian presidents that they "must respond" to their people's yearning for peace in the Middle East and find "the strength to persevere in undaunted dialogue".

The pope made his appeal on Sunday to Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas during a prayer meeting among Jews, Christians and Muslims at the Vatican.

Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare," he said. "Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace."

Abbas said asked God to "bring comprehensive and just peace to our country and region so that our people and the peoples of the Middle East and the whole world would enjoy the fruit of peace, stability and coexistence".

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