Pope Francis on Monday urged his "brother" Muslims to never abuse God's name through violence as he opened the third and final day of his Mideast pilgrimage with a visit to the Dome of the Rock, the iconic shrine located at the third-holiest spot in Islam.
Francis took
off his shoes to step into the gold-topped dome, which enshrines the
rock where Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven.
The
mosque complex, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as
the Temple Mount, is at the heart of the territorial and religious
disputes between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Speaking
to the grand mufti of Jerusalem and other Muslim authorities, Francis
deviated from his prepared remarks to refer not just to his "dear
friends" but "dear brothers."
"May
we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters," he said, and
added, "May we learn to understand the suffering of others! May no one
abuse the name of God through violence!"
After
the brief visit, Francis headed to the Western Wall, the only remains
of the biblical Second Temple and the holiest place where Jews can pray.
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