Pope Francis hosts joint Israel-Palestinian peace prayerThe BBC's Alan Johnston says the Pope's initiative took everyone by surprise
The 'fallible' Pope
Pope Francis is hosting Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a joint prayer meeting at the Vatican.
Israeli President Shimon Peres and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, came together to pray for peace in the Middle East.
Pope Francis issued the invitation on his recent trip to the Holy Land.
The Pope has stressed that the Vatican is not seeking to get involved in peace negotiations between the two sides, which collapsed in acrimony in April.
But he said he hoped that the meeting - which correspondents say is unprecedented - would create an atmosphere that would help the eventual resumption of talks.
The three men, and the spiritual head of the Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew, were driven together to the Vatican gardens.
The Pope then sat between the two presidents as a chamber orchestra played.
The Pope believes in the power of prayer
"We have gathered here, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, so that each of us can express his or her desire for peace for the Holy Land and for all who dwell there," the master of ceremonies said.
Vatican officials insist there is no ulterior political motive behind Pope Francis' invitation and no concrete initiatives are expected.
"No-one is presumptuous enough to think peace will break out on Monday," Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa - in charge of Catholic sites in the Holy Land and a key organiser of the prayer meeting - told Reuters.
Mr Abbas said in an interview with La Repubblica: "The Pope's invitation was courageous, With this prayer we are sending a message to all believers of the three major religions and the others - the dream of peace must not die."
Mr Peres said: "The spiritual call is very important and affects reality. I hope the event will contribute to promoting peace between the two sides and throughout the world."
Analysis by Alan Johnston, BBC News, Rome
Pope Francis has said he'll make no attempt to mediate between his Israeli and Palestinian visitors. He says that's a job for diplomats.
The Pope is trying something a little different here - a spiritual approach. He hopes that the prayers in the calm of the Vatican gardens might just improve the atmosphere between the two sides. And that that in turn might perhaps lead to the opening of new possibilities for peace.
For Pope Francis, the power of prayer has the capacity to change everything.
But those most familiar with the harsh realities of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute are likely to look on with some considerable scepticism.
Minute detail
Mr Peres and Mr Abbas know each other well - they signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993.
The Israeli president occupies a largely ceremonial position and has no formal role in peace talks. He is due to leave office at the end of this month.
But officials say that the Israeli government backs his trip to the Vatican and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in "constant contact" with him.
The Pope's Middle East trip bypassed the formal machinery of traditional Vatican foreign policy
Sunday's prayer event has been organised in minute detail and comprises Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers which will be offered near St Peter's Basilica.
Officials say the prayers will be offered in the chronological order of the founding of the three religions.
The holding of such a ceremony is likely to add to the Pope's reputation, correspondents say, as someone who is unconstrained by diplomatic and theological niceties when it comes to advancing the causes of diplomacy and peace.
The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the pontiff has often bypassed the formal machinery that normally conducts Vatican foreign policy.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27754663
