An Israel Radio report that Pope John Paul 11 expressed interest in visiting Jerusalem has not been confirmed by Vatican sources. Father Pierfranco Pastore, assistant director of the Vatican Press Office, declined to comment. But Papal trips are never announced at the Vatican until all details have been completed.
According to the Israel Radio report Nov. 14, the Pope spoke at some length to the Israeli delegation to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conference here the day before and expressed the hope of visiting Jerusalem. The delegation was headed by Deputy Premier Simcha Ehrlich who is also Minister of Agriculture.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.