Pope Francis declares sainthood for two Palestinian nuns

VATICAN CITY, May 17 (UPI) -- Two Palestinian nuns who lived in the 19th century under the rule of the Ottoman Empire were canonized and given sainthood by Pope Francis on Sunday.

Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy will be the first Palestinian saints in modern times. Two other nuns, Italian and French, were also declared saints at a ceremony in Rome's St. Peter's Square

Ghattas, born to a Palestinian family in Jerusalem, co-founded the still-operational Congregation of the Rosary Sisters, which runs various kindergartens and schools.

Bawardy, born in Galilee to Greek Catholic parents from Syria and Lebanon, was said to have carried out miracles and experienced stigmata -- a Roman Catholic belief in the physical appearance of marks corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.

The ceremony was attended by more than 2,000 Christian pilgrims from the Middle East and by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who the pope called "an angel of peace" Saturday.

The move is seen as the Vatican's method to show support to diminishing Christian communities in the Middle East. The total number of Christians in Israel and Palestinian territories has decreased to less than two percent of the population.

The Palestinian nuns' sainthood follows the Vatican's announcement on Wednesday to formally recognize Palestine as a state through a treaty, the first legal document negotiated between Palestine and the Holy See.

In the treaty, the Palestine Liberation Organization was referred to as the state of Palestine, a symbolic but important formality in Palestine's legitimacy as a nation.

The United Nations General Assembly recognized Palestine as a state, with U.N. non-member observer status, in 2012. Pope Francis has long supported a Palestinian state.