Arafat Meets Pope, Urges Resumption of Peace Talks

Palestinian president Yasser Arafat discussed Friday with Pope John Paul II the middle east peace process. The pope has accepted Arafat's visit to Bethlehem for celebrations of the new millennium and told Arafat he would pray for the Palestinian nation.

and that he believed goodwill by both Israelis and Palestinians was needed to revive the deadlocked Middle East peace process. Map reported that a Vatican statement said Arafat told the Pope "of the tragic situation of the Palestinian people, while the peace process is threatened."