pontiff

"The agreement to begin the peace process has given a spark of hope in the Holy Land," the US-born pontiff said at the end of Sunday's Angelus prayer.

Reiterating the words of his predecessor Pope Francis, the new pontiff lambasted critics who "ridicule those who speak of global warming".

A previous official visit to the Vatican was postponed earlier this year because of the poor health of the pontiff's predecessor, Pope Francis.

When Pope John Paul II wanted to warn President Reagan of the danger of nuclear weapons, Baltimore was one of four scientists the pontiff appointed to carry his message.

The American pontiff has also not commented on his predecessor's 2023 decree.