Pope Benedict begins a trip to the Middle east that could test his diplomatic skills

Pope Benedict the 16th leaves for the Holy Land today on his first visit there as pontiff. He's facing a daunting array of religious and political challenges on the eight-day trip. The spiritual leader of the world's 1-point-2 Billion Catholics is due to arrive in the Jordanian capital Amman on the first leg of what has been described as a pilgrimage that will take him to Israel and the occupied Palestinian town of Bethlehem.