Rome — Pope Leo XIV met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican on Thursday, marking their first in-person encounter since the Chicago native was chosen to lead the Catholic Church in May. The two had spoken previously on the phone.

The hour-long meeting, described by the Holy See as "cordial," focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and renewed calls for a two-state solution, a position the Vatican has consistently promoted as the only viable path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

The talks came nearly a month after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took hold in Gaza, bringing a fragile calm following two years of conflict that began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.

According to a Vatican statement, both leaders agreed on "the urgent need to p

See Full Page