VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis insists his weekend pilgrimage to the Middle East is a “strictly religious” commemoration of a key turning point in Catholic-Orthodox relations. But the delicate, three-day mission will test his diplomatic skills as he navigates Israeli-Palestinian tensions after the failure of the latest round of peace talks and fallout from Syria’s civil war.

For a pope who embraces spontaneity and shuns papal protocol and security, the potential pitfalls are obvious. Not to mention the fact that Francis’ stated purpose for traveling to Jordan, Israel and the West Bank has little to do with the geopolitical headlines of the day.