Preparations for the “invocation for peace”

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Father Frederico Lombardi, spokesman of the Holy See, and Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Franciscan Custos of the holy Land, held a joint press conference in the Vatican on Thursday, June 5, 2014.

Father Lombardi explained: "First President Shimon Peres will arrive, then a few minutes later, President Mahmud Abbas, who earlier that day will have been in Egypt. The Pope will meet with each one of them briefly, inside his residence at Casa Santa Marta. Then at about 6.45pm, Patriarch Bartholomew, will join the group."

The outdoor ceremony will take place in the Vatican Gardens, at roughly 7pm, to avoid the city's intense heat. Each leader will have his own delegation. The session will first include a Jewish prayer, then Christian and finally Muslim. An invocation for forgiveness and another for peace will be made in each one of them.

Father Pizzaballa added: “This prayer session will put politics on hold. So even before anything was set, it was made clear that each president would come with their respective staff and national representatives, but politics would be left out the door.”

The prayer ceremony will be made public, but both presidents along with the Pope, will also have a private meeting.