Issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media - Jordan. Editor-in-chief Fr. Rif'at Bader - موقع أبونا abouna.org
A Royal visit that affirms Jordan-Vatican friendship
We followed up, with pride and honor, the historic visit of His Majesty King Abdullah II to the Holy See, who was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad. This much-anticipated visit was intended to convey well wishes to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV marking his ascension to the Peterian leadership of the worldwide Catholic Church, as well as to underline the firm and strength of the relationship between Jordan and the Vatican.
A relevant official statement issued in Jordan indicated that “this visit aims to consolidate the good relations, which are always referred to as friendly, between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Vatican, known in international and diplomatic relations as the "Holy See."
The Jordanian-Vatican relations, which we have marked their 30th anniversary, are in fact greatly profound. Jordan was the first leg of Pope Paul VI's visit in 1964, namely 30 years prior to the formal establishment of official relations. This was followed by reciprocal visits of the late King Hussein Ibn Talal, and then His Majesty King Abdullah II, who visited the Vatican yesterday which is part of a series of Royal meetings, that included four successive Popes, that reflect the continuity of communication and the distinguished relationship between Amman and the Holy See.
The relationship between Jordan and the Vatican is sacred, since Jordan is a holy land. This fact was accentuated while Jordan's role in preserving holy sites was also lauded. This term carries several meanings, as the holy sites dot every part of our blessed Jordan, and are found in every drop of water from our noble river. It is a profound historical legacy that indicates the authentic and deeply rooted Christian presence in the history of this dear homeland.
Furthermore, this visit represented an invitation to visit the holy sites, particularly the Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ which was mentioned twice in the official statement, firstly a commendation of Jordan's role in the custodianship of the Holy Sites, and secondly a source of a particular pride and honor, through His Majesty the King's invitation to His Holiness the Pope to visit the site on the eastern side of the Jordan River. This reaffirms that Jordan is a holy land, and that the visit of the Popes to this land--as has been the case on four consecutive occasions--is a spiritual pilgrimage and an encouragement for the community of the Catholic Church and all Christians worldwide to visit the holy sites in Jordan and to receive the blessings of the blessed waters of the Jordan River.
The visit also served as an affirmation of the Hashemite Jordanian custodianship, which His Majesty the King assumes over the Holy Sites in noble Jerusalem. From this premise, two essential points can be highlighted, namely the call to attain peace in Palestine and to continue the peace process, whose impressions have begun to crystallize positively which culminates in observing a ceasefire. However, the joint call was designed to ensure the implementation of the resolutions, delivery of humanitarian aid, and pursuing a final and just solution to the Palestinian question within the framework of a two-state solution. This is what His Majesty the King has consistently focused on, whether in his recent interview with the BBC or during his current successive visits, as he affirms that resolving the Palestinian issue is essential to addressing several regional conundrums and achieving comprehensive global peace.
We await a positive response from the Holy See, so that His Holiness Pope Leo would come and become the 5th Pope to visit Jordan, and the fourth Pope to visit Jordan during the reign of His Majesty King Abdullah II, may God protect him, at a time when we are currently in this year making preparation for the five-year period leading up to 2030, when the world—in association with the Christian history and religious tourism--will commemorate the bicentennial of the baptism of Lord Jesus Christ. It is a happy and historic anniversary. We hope to be well prepared for it in cooperation with all our partners and supporters, foremost of whom is the Vatican since the Pope's hoped-for visit would be an incentive and encouragement for believers from around the world to come to Jordan and make pilgrimages to our land that exudes fragrance and holiness.
