The pope met Abbas a few days after the Vatican formalized its recognition of the Palestinian state, a move which riled Israel\’s government.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis meant no offense to Israel by referring to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as being "an angel of peace" and intended to encourage harmony between the two sides, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
Francis met Abbas at the Vatican on Saturday and used the words as he presented Abbas with a large bronze medallion representing the angel of peace, one of his customary gifts to visiting presidents.
Receiving Abbas at the papal apartments, the Argentine pontiff, speaking in Italian, said the medallion was an appropriate gift because "you are a bit an angel of peace", according to a reporter representing several news agencies at the meeting.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said he had not heard the remarks himself and had nothing to add to the words attributed to the pope by the pool reporter.
"It is clear that there was no intention to offend anyone," Lombardi told Reuters.
Early reports had conflicted as to whether the pope urged Abbas to be an "angel of peace" or if he had described him as such.
The pope met Abbas a few days after the Vatican formalized its recognition of the Palestinian state, a move which riled Israel\’s government.