Prior to the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Lord Jesus Christ at the Baptism Site, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) held a press conference on January 10, 2025 during which His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Minister of Tourism Ms. Lina Annab, made addresses in the presence of journalists from various local, Arab, and international news agencies.

CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader, welcomed His Beatitude the Cardinal, the minister of tourism, the large number of media reporters, and appointed Bishop Iyad Twal, who is participating for the first time in the annual Catholic pilgrimage to the Baptism Site, as he was appointment last month by His Holiness Pope Francis as an auxiliary bishop in the Latin Patriarchate and Latin patriarchal vicar for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Fr. Bader pointed out that for the past 25 years, we have performed pilgrimage to this holy spot, which was initiated by the historic visit of Pope John Paul II. He said that between the Jubilee of 2000 and the Jubilee of 2025, the Baptism Site has witnessed a multifaceted renaissance, represented by the construction of churches. Today, the Latin Patriarchate celebrates the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Christ, in the presence of representative of His Holiness Pope Francis' legate Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See.

Fr. Bader pointed out that the new church was built by the Latin Patriarchate on a 30-dunum plot of land, provided by the government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at the behest of His Majesty King Abdullah II. He added that the main financier for its construction was His Excellency Mr. Nadim Al-Mu'asher and his family, in addition to the Latin Patriarchate, a number of charity organizations and friendly countries, such as Hungary.

Fr. Bader continued that the silver jubilee of the Catholic pilgrimage and the inauguration of the Baptism Church of Lord Jesus Christ serve as a culmination of all the combined efforts conducted over a quarter of a century, and an embodiment of the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II for the Baptism Site to be a global spiritual and humanitarian one that reflects the image of Great Jordan with regards to harmony and convergence among human beings, as well as to serve as an attraction to thousands of pilgrims and tourists to visit the Kingdom. In this context, Fr. Bader praised the efforts exerted by Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site His Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, the local administration of Baptism Site, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Jordan Tourism Board.

For his part, Cardinal Pizzaballah said that Jordan is a holy land and the land in which Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. It is the country of saints as over a quarter of a century, the Kingdom welcomed three Popes, namely Pope John Paul II in 2000 who initiated baptism to the Baptism Site, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 who laid the foundation stone for the Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, and by His Holiness Pope Francis in 2014 who prayed at the church that was at the time under construction.

He said, "We are proud today to come together to inaugurate this church after years of waiting and daily work in the presence  of His Holiness Pope Francis' legate Cardinal Pietro Parolin." He also praised the great efforts undertaken by Mr. Nadim Al-Mu'asher for his generous donation to finance the largest part of the construction of this church, which will primarily serve Jordanian Christians, and secondly all pilgrims who will come from different parts of the world to Jordan to be blessed by its waters and its religious and touristic sites, as well as to get to know its good people.

By the Jordan River, Cardinal Pizzaballa extended an invitation to all friends in the world to come and make a pilgrimage to this site, which coincides with the Catholic Church’s celebration of the 2025 Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ. He said," You are welcome to Jordan, and do not be afraid. Jordan is a safe and stable country." He also offered prayers for the restoration of security and a ceasefire in Gaza and Palestine, for Syria, and for Lebanon with the election of a new president so that the region would enjoy peace and calm, and consequently groups of pilgrims and tourists would return to Jordan to perform pilgrimage in its holy waters.

During the press conference, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ms. Lina Annab praised the joint efforts undertaken by various tourist, religious, and media parties to present Jordan as a sublime, stable, and safe country that welcomes everybody. She highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah II's constant calls for Jordan to be a center of attraction for brethren coming from all over the world, especially since it has been the only country visited by four Popes, which reflects Jordan's status as a beacon of religious harmony and common living.

She added, "The inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ is a testament to the great efforts made by the engineers, supervisors, contractors and donors who contributed to the completion of this wonderful project.  She added that the inauguration of this church is also an important step in the preparations for the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ, which will be celebrated in 2030.

Ms. Annab renewed the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ commitment to preserving the holy Baptism Site as part of the common human heritage, and underlined its pivotal role in promoting understanding among religions and cultures. She expressed hope that the inauguration of the new church will be an inspiration to deepen common human values ​​by enriching cultural and spiritual ties among followers of religions and enhancing mutual understanding among peoples.