Vatican Clarifies ‘Angel of Peace’ Line

Pope Francis was embroiled in the Israel-Palestine conflict this weekend, when he quietly referred to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as either an "angel of peace," or said, "May you be an angel of peace," depending on the translation. The first angered Israelis and Jewish leaders, who say that Abbas has incited violence and broke down peace talks last year. The second translation was deemed acceptable by the pro-Israeli opinion. A Vatican spokesman clarified that the word angel meant "messenger" and said, "The words that the pope used are marginal." The exact wording was not documented.