After consultations with the Holy See, the United Nations will raise the flag of the Holy See for the first time on the morning of Friday September 25, so that it will be flying when Pope Francis arrives at the UN Headquarters.

The Palestinians initially presented their initiative as a joint effort with the Holy See, but the Vatican said it would not co-sponsor the resolution and requested that its name be removed from the text.

A resolution had previously been put forward to allow the flags of the Vatican and the Palestine, which both have non-member observer status at the United Nations , to fly.

In contrast to the Holy See, the Palestinian United Nations Mission has invited hundreds of dignitaries and diplomats to a ceremony on September 30 when its flag will be raised by President Mahmoud Abbas after he addresses the General Assembly. This resolution was strongly backed by the Palestininians, but the Vatican did not push for the flags to be raised.

The Vatican’s ambassador made clear that it was at the United Nations’ behest that the flag was being raised.

Pope Francis is due to address the United Nations in New York on Friday during his first visit to the United States.

On Monday, at a press briefing at the Holy See’s permanent mission, the archbishop said the Vatican had changed its position, after a nudge from the office of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Eight countries including Israel, the United States, Canada and Australia voted against the flag-raising measure, dismissing it as a symbolic gesture that would not serve the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace.