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refugees.
• Later, he will meet one-on-one with refugees and disabled children at a church in Bethany beyond the Jordan, which many believe is the traditional site of Jesus' baptism.
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From gifts to seating arrangements, 5 things to look for during Pope Francis' Mideast trip
• JERUSALEM (AP) -- Pope Francis' trip to the Middle East offers a host of symbolically important -- and potentially problematic -- moments, from the gifts he'll receive to the venues he'll visit and words he will pronounce. Here are five things to look for during his trip starting Saturday to Jordan, the West Bank and Israel.
• GIVING GIFTS
• Standard diplomatic protocol calls for political and religious leaders to exchange gifts when visiting one another, and a papal trip to the Holy Land is no different.
• When Pope Paul VI met in Jerusalem with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians in 1964 -- an encounter Francis is commemorating with his visit -- Paul presented Patriarch Athenagoras with a chalice, while the patriarch gave Paul a golden medallion which Orthodox bishops wear. The significance was immediately clear: a mutual desire to end 900 years of division stemming from the Great Schism of 1054, which split Christianity into Catholic and Orthodox churches.
• "The chalice was a symbol of sacramental union ... while the medallion was a sign of episcopal unity," said Valeria Martano, whose recent book "The Embrace of Jerusalem" recounts the historic meeting.
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After 6 years of living in the 'bubble,' Obama chucks the routine as he fights off cabin fever
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama seems to have caught a bad case of cabin fever.
• Since taking office, Obama has periodically grumbled about the claustrophobia that sets in when his every move is surrounded by intense security, rendering it nearly impossible to enjoy the simple pleasures that private citizens take for granted. But in recent days, the president has made more of a point to get out.
• "The bear is loose!" Obama declared this week after leaving the White House on foot, ditching his motorcade and his suit jacket in favor of fresh air as he headed to the Interior Department.
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