The Lower Jordan River's decline, exacerbated by climate change, is intertwined with the entanglements of the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict and rivalry over precious water in a valley where so much is contested.
As Syria's war soon enters its eighth year, many decry the recent escalation in the conflict in the country's north, between Turkey and the Kurds and in the south, between Iran and Israel.
Formalizing their unity in the intimate setting of the chapel of the papal residence, Pope Francis and Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi concelebrated Mass together.