"I hope that this visit will be an embrace of consolation and of encouragement to all Christians in the Middle East," the pope said.

The plight of Palestinians uprooted by Israeli-Arab wars is one of the world's longest-running refugee crises, and a solution for millions of refugees and their descendants appears distant.

Pope Francis will be in Egypt for two days beginning on April 28.

Pope Francis "will affirm that there is a certain solidarity among Christians" and that "we are all related together by Jesus."

A new book situates Pilate in the political and cultural milieu of the Roman Empire in the Middle East.

International observers who monitored the voting found irregularities, saying the conduct of Sunday's referendum "fell short" of international standards.