Pope Francis has canonised two 19th Century nuns who lived in Ottoman-ruled Palestine, making them the first Palestinian saints in modern times, the BBC reports.
Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy were among four new saints declared in Rome’s St Peter’s Square.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and over 2,000 Christian pilgrims from the region attended the ceremony.
The move is seen as a token of Vatican support for dwindling Christian communities in the Middle East.
On Saturday, Pope Francis met Mr Abbas at the Vatican, calling him “an angel of peace.”
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