Pope Francis arrives in Jordan for Mideast trip
By OMAR AKOUR and NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press
May 24, 2014 4:56 AM CDT
Pope Francis waves to reporters as he boards a plane to Amman, Jordan, for a three-day trip to the Middle East including the West Bank and Israel, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport, Saturday, May 24, 2014. On the first leg of his trip, Pope Francis will get a firsthand look at the plight of...   (Associated Press)

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Pope Francis has arrived in Jordan, kicking off his three-day trip to the Middle East.

The pope's flight from Rome landed Saturday afternoon at Amman's Queen Alia International Airport.

Pope Francis will meet with King Abdullah II and Queen Rania at the royal palace first.

Then he'll celebrate Mass in Amman's International Stadium. The Vatican expects some 25,000 people to attend, many of them Palestinian, Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

Later, he will meet one-on-one with refugees and disabled children at a church in Bethany beyond the Jordan, which many believe is the traditional site of Jesus' baptism.

He will travel Sunday from Jordan to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where the pope will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders.

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