Abbas to meet with Pope Francis at Vatican before nuns' canonization

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on May 16, a day before the canonization of two nuns who will become the first Palestinian saints of the modern era, his office said Monday.

Abbas will also attend the ceremony in honor of Bawardi Mariam (1846-1878), a native of Galilee, and Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas (1843-1927), a native of Jerusalem, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

Before that, Abbas will travel to Tunisia on Tuesday to meet his counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi, and then to Italy to talk with the president and the Italian prime minister, among other officials.