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Pope Leo to host Israel's Herzog at Vatican with invitation origin at issue
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 2, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
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Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 2, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Pope Leo and Israeli President Herzog will meet at the Vatican to discuss peace efforts amid a dispute over the meeting's invitation origin.
By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo and Israeli President Isaac Herzog have agreed to meet at the Vatican on Thursday but there was disagreement over whose idea the meeting was.
The Israeli presidency issued a statement early on Tuesday saying Herzog would meet Leo on Thursday at the pope's invitation.
In an unusual statement, the Vatican said on Tuesday evening: "It is the Holy See's practice to accede to requests for an audience with the pope made by Heads of State and Government; it is not its practice to extend invitations to them."
After the Vatican rebuff, a source in the Israeli president's office said Herzog had been scheduled to meet the late Pope Francis on a visit to Italy when Francis became ill and later died.
After Pope Leo’s inauguration, the new meeting was arranged in full coordination with the Vatican through diplomatic channels, the source said.
The Israeli president's office said in its statement they would discuss efforts to secure the return of hostages held in Gaza, the fight against global antisemitism, and the safeguarding of Christian communities in the Middle East.
Leo has recently stepped up his calls for an end to the war in Gaza. Leo, the first U.S. pope, last week issued a "strong appeal" for an end to the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas, calling for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza and the provision of humanitarian aid.
The Vatican, which strives to be seen as a neutral arbiter in world affairs, does not typically comment in advance on the pope's meetings with world leaders.
Its usual practice is to only issue brief statements after meetings with the pope have taken place.
Leo has two announced meetings with world leaders this week: with Herzog on Thursday and with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Friday.
Leo was elected by the world's cardinals in May to replace Francis, who had become a frequent critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, additional reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Howard Goller and Giulia Segreti)
Humanitarian aid refers to material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to crises such as natural disasters or armed conflicts.
An invitation dispute occurs when there is disagreement or confusion regarding who initiated or extended an invitation for a meeting or event.
The Vatican aims to act as a neutral arbiter in international relations, often facilitating dialogue and peace efforts among nations.
Key discussion topics often include security, humanitarian issues, economic cooperation, and strategies for conflict resolution.
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