Pope John Paul II will on Wednesday visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, as he continues his tour of the Holy Land.

In an itinerary heavy with political and religious symbolism, he will also tour a Palestinian refugee camp. In a telegram to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, whom he will be meeting, the Pope said: "In eager anticipation of my visit to Bethlehem and the Palestinian territories I ask Almighty God to bless the Palestinian people and to strengthen in all the peoples of the Middle East the resolve to bring about a just and stable peace in the region.".

Mr Arafat called the visit "an international signal for the whole world".

Full Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_686000/686364.stm

Mitch Battros
Producer - Earth Changes TV
http://www.earthchangesTV.com