Pope Meets Palestinians, Receives Gift of Scarf

posted on: Apr 23, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI has met a group of Palestinian Catholics who brought him a traditional Palestinian scarf as a gift.

The 27 faithful from a Bethlehem parish were among thousands attending the pope’s weekly Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square.

At the end of the audience, two youths from the group were brought to Benedict and draped the checkered black-and-white scarf on his shoulders. Benedict chatted briefly with them while wearing the scarf, which an aide later removed.

Bethlehem is one of the stops on the May 8-15 Holy Land pilgrimage that will take Benedict to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. In Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, he will celebrate Mass and visit a Palestinian refugee camp.

Associated Press

Picture caption:
In this photo released by Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano a paricipant to the general audience puts a traditional Palestinian scarf on Pope Benedict XVI shoulders in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. (AP Photo/L’Oosservatore Romano)