ROME (JTA) – Pope Paul VI, the first pontiff to visit Israel, will be beatified in October, moving him a step closer to sainthood.

The ceremony will take place Oct. 19. The Vatican made the announcement Saturday, after Pope Francis recognized a miracle attributed to Paul.

Paul VI, who reigned from 1963 to 1978, visited Jerusalem in January 1964 on a brief trip to Israel and Jordan. It was the first time a reigning pope had visited the Holy Land.  At the time, the Vatican did not recognize Israel as a state – Israel and the Holy See established full diplomatic relations in 1993. Also, his trip came before the landmark Nostra Aetate declaration of 1965, which opened the way to Catholic-Jewish dialogue.

Pope Francis will visit Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority at the end of May, in part to mark the 50^th anniversary of Paul VI’s trip. Both of Francis’s predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II visited Israel.

In a joint ceremony two weeks ago, Francis canonized Paul VI’s immediate predecessor, Pope John XXIII as well as John Paul II, who followed Paul after the three-week reign of John Paul I.

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