BALDWIN: Pope Francis is wrapping up his three-day visit to the Middle East and Jerusalem. But his trip took unexpected turn from the historic photo ops and religious masses because the pontiff gave a personal invitation to leaders of Israel and the Palestinian authority to come to the Vatican for a peace initiative. He actually spoke with Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas about having quote- unquote "encounter of prayer." And CNN has learned that Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres have accepted that invite. It will take place sometime next month. So, let's bring in our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson in Jerusalem for us. And Ivan, do we know what prompted the Pope to open up this invitation for this peace initiative?</s>IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he came to the holy land calling for peace basically, saying that that was the primary message he was trying to bring to a place since it's long been associated with conflict. He, upon touching them, he's the first Pope to have actually started the trip by flying into the occupied West Bank where he declared the Vatican support for the quote, "state of Palestine." So, he repeated the fact that he believes a state of Palestine should be independent living with freedom and dignity within international border side by side with a state of Israel that does not have to suffer from terrorist attacks. And I think, also, he has a real concern for the Christian community that dwindling the minority that continues to live here in the Holy Land, but is shrinking. There few work then 10,000 Palestinian Christians now living in Jerusalem. Of course, really, the most important place in Christianity and occupation and conflict do not help that community. So those are some of the reasons that may have prompted the Pope to push forward with this quite unusual diplomatic initiative -- Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: I mean, it seems like he is asserting the role of Vatican. It is almost peacemaker.
Pope Francis' Trip to the Holy Land