He stands against abortion and euthanasia, promulgates unpopular views such as the ineffectiveness of condoms to curb AIDS and has done his best to upset radical Muslims. Yet he cannot resist wading into Middle East politics and getting it wrong:

While acknowledging the suffering of Palestinian people following the establishment of Israel in 1948, the Pope nevertheless urged moderation, telling Palestinians they should not use violence and extremism.

In his most sensitive speech yet of his tour of the Holy Land, the Pope sent a message of solidarity with moderate Palestinians such as Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah leader and president of the Palestinian Authority, who welcomed him to Bethlehem.

“The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbours, within internationally recognised borders,” the Pope said.

Mahmoud Abbas is not moderate since he has made repeated statements that the Palestinians will never accept Israel as a Jewish state; and a “sovereign Palestinian homeland” will solve nothing if the inhabitants of the “homeland” continue to be bent on Israel’s destruction – which they almost certainly would.