Following is the text of the address delivered by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during the ceremony marking the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Lord Jesus Christ on Friday, Januray10, 2024:

Representative of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein,

His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, chief advisor of His Majesty the King for cultural and religious affairs,

Legate of His Holiness Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Holy See Secretary of State,

Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant you peace.

With great pride and pleasure, we welcome you today at the gate of this church, and we say to everyone, "You are most welcome."

We have waited for this day for a long time. For fifteen years, we have been waiting for this outstanding and beautiful event, which takes place in this year during which we mark the silver jubilee of this pilgrimage, namely 25 years since the beginning of the Christian pilgrimage to the Baptism Site (Al-Maghtas).

We greet His Majesty King Abdullah II for his care for the sanctity of Jerusalem, in his capacity as the father of Jordanians, particularly for the development for the Baptism Site that became fully ready to welcome thousands of Christians from various churches and from all parts of the world.

We also greet His Holiness Pope Francis, who wanted to send His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as a papal legate on his behalf for the consecration of this church, which will be considered one of the most important religious landmarks in the world. Thank you, Your Eminence the Cardinal, for this presence on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, and we hope that you will convey our greetings and thanks to His Holiness who had prayed with us at this church, while it was under construction.

Welcome to you, O those coming from various parts of Jordan. Thank you for coming today to say that the church is made from stones, definitely! But it is made of living stones, and these living stones are you, the believers, as well as the descendants of the fathers and grandfathers who lived here since the ancient times.

This is an expression of gratitude to all those who have continuously exerted daily effort or financial support over a quarter of a century. We thank the Divine Providence that sent us generous people, who express their love not only for the church in Jordan, but for the entire country, leadership, and people.

Profound gratitude is conveyed to His Excellency Mr. Nadim Al-Muasher, Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, and his honorable family. We thank them for wanting to receive Heaven's consolation by making a generous contribution to cover most of the costs of building the church.

Gratitude is also addressed to everyone who contributed to in this achievement whether individual, institutional, charity organizations or governments. Today, in the presence of the Hungarian Minister of State, we thank the State of Hungary.

Dear friends,

This church is first and foremost at your service, namely the faithful who live in the Holy Land. Its doors are also open to all dear pilgrims whom we invite to visit Jordan and those who had visited it and want to return to it anew. Therefore, it is a gift from the local church to all the beloved friends everywhere who will come to be blessed by the waters of the blessed Jordan River, and make a pilgrimage to this church.

This event coincides with the Catholic Church's Jubilee. We as a diocese began this jubilee on the Sunday of the Holy Family at the end of last year at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Consequently, we thank all the pilgrims who will make pilgrimage to this place. We thank the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board.

We also thank the Congregation of the Incarnate Word who, with its priests and nuns, will provide to us spiritual service in this place. We encourage holding spiritual retreats at this holy site, and spending time in the “wilderness of John the Baptist.”

Finally, let us pray on this blessed morning for Jordan, for His Majesty the King, and for all believers so that they may always be proud that Jordan is an integral part of the Holy Land, and that Jordan is safe and stable under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein Ibn Abdullah.

We also pray today, as Pope John Paul II prayed at this holy site in 2000, when he said: "I will keep all the people of Jordan, Christians and Muslims, in my prayers, especially the sick and the elderly."

Let us pray for all people who are suffering, especially for those who could not pray with us here, and who follow us via media outlets. And also pray for everyone who is suffering in one's own country, due to the lack of security, stability and peace, and we mention in particular Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, and every region in the world that needs peace.

From the lowest spot on Earth, we lift up prayers to the highest heavens for all people.

Congratulations again.