VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to the Holy Land aims to boost relations with Orthodox Christians. But the three-day visit in May also underscores Francis’ close ties to the Jewish community, his outreach to Muslims, and the Vatican’s longstanding call for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The announcement was made Sunday just as Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a new US bid for peace.
Francis told thousands gathered in the rain for his weekly Sunday blessing that he would visit Amman, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem from May 24 to 26. It is the only papal trip confirmed so far for 2014 and the second foreign trip of Francis’s pontificate, after his 2013 visit to Brazil.
Francis will be the fourth pope to visit the Holy Land since Paul VI’s landmark visit in 1964. In his Christmas address, Francis singled out the Holy Land for prayers, saying ‘‘Bless the land where you chose to come into the world and grant a favorable outcome to the peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.’’