Canonization comes just days after the Vatican formalized its de facto recognition of the State of Palestine. Pope Francis named two Palestinian women as saints on Sunday, in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Square just days after the Vatican formalized its de facto recognition of the State of Palestine.

Pope Francis' hard-hitting criticisms of globalization and inequality long ago set him out as a leader unafraid of mixing theology and politics. He is now flexing the Vatican's diplomatic muscles as well.

The Vatican's forceful recognition of a Palestinian state May 13 is just the latest in a series of bold diplomatic moves aimed at ensuring that Christians will be able to remain in the birthplace of their faith.

The United States has been privately leaning on France and other allies to hold off on pushing a measure at the U.N. Security Council that is designed to force movement on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process at least until negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have concluded, diplomats told Foreign Policy.

Britain and France urged the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set a framework to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians as New Zealand announced it had begun working on a draft resolution to reignite the process, according to a Reuters report.

Most people have a stereotypical image of the Palestinians — sitting in refugee camps and the 67 years of agony since they were uprooted from their homeland showing on their faces, or covering their faces with the checkered black-and-white keffiyeh and throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. But a few young Palestinians are showing the world a completely new face of Palestine. They include a great singer, a talented musician and a gifted gymnast. These artists join the ranks of a few Palestinian poets and writers who have gained international fame.

Last week, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission declared opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari the winner after election results in 35 out of the 36 districts showed him winning by 2.57 million votes and defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.Buhari now faces tough questions: Will the outgoing president be willing to hand over the presidency as peacefully as he pledged to?