Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday afternoon is expected to announce his planned visits to Jordan and Israel, to take place May 10-15th.

The Vatican over the weekend officially informed The President’s Residence that the pope is responding positively to President Shimon Peres’ invitation.

The pontiff plans to visit “Amman, Jerusalem, Bet Lechem and Nazareth.” The pope is expected to land in Israel on May 11th, and he will be received in an official state ceremony at Ben-Gurion International Airport headed by the president.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)