Pope Francis 'profoundly concerned' by Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Pope Francis has called for the status quo to be respected ahead of Donald Trump's expected recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday (6 November).

Trump is also expected to announce that the US embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Officials said the move was a "recognition of reality" as most of its government institutions are in Jerusalem.

The controversial move has been widely condemned by world leaders, who warn that it could escalate tensions in the Middle East.

Pope Francis added his voice to the choir. He said he was "profoundly concerned" about recent developments and called for "wisdom and prudence" to prevent an escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He described Jerusalem as a city that has a "special vocation for peace" for Christians, Jews and Muslims and said that "everyone respects the status quo of the city", in accordance with UN resolutions.

"I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts," the pope said during his weekly address in the Vatican.

Ahead of the announcement, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei said the move signalled "incompetence and failure." US ally Saudi Arabia warned that recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a "flagrant provocation to Muslims."

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said President Trump was crossing "a red line" by unilaterally recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. He described the move as "a big blow to the conscience of humanity".