Pope Francis to mediate 'unacceptable' Palestinian-Israeli stalemate

Pope Francis used his trip to the biblical town of Bethlehem to lament the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestine as "unacceptable," and in a surprise move invited both parties to come break the stalemate next month at the Vatican.

"The time has come for everyone to find the courage to be generous and creative in the service of the common good," he said Sunday.

Both Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have already said they will make the trek. The invitation comes after U.S.-brokered peace talks recently dissolved into uncertainty.

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