Pope Francis is welcomed to Bethlehem by the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and senior religious officials. In his arrival remarks, he expressed support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Pope Visits Bethlehem on Second Day of Mideast Trip
![Pope Francis, center on a vehicle, greets people as he arrives in Bethlehem, West Bank.](https://gdb.voanews.com/181D5BD8-4242-4AEA-A4B1-D2DB76DEC888_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis, center on a vehicle, greets people as he arrives in Bethlehem, West Bank.
![Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) attends an open-air mass led by Pope Francis in the Manger Square, next to the Nativity Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.](https://gdb.voanews.com/429C3368-1116-4227-9A18-C6E398D1FA26_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) attends an open-air mass led by Pope Francis in the Manger Square, next to the Nativity Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
![Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank.](https://gdb.voanews.com/AEC68E20-2BA5-465C-9211-31794D49C27B_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank.
![Pope Francis is welcomed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas upon his arrival to the West Bank city of Bethlehem.](https://gdb.voanews.com/D6A52EB3-4283-4097-9692-090D3F47F752_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Pope Francis is welcomed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas upon his arrival to the West Bank city of Bethlehem.