Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis' Pontifical legate for the consecration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ which is affiliated with the Latin Patriarchate on Friday January 10, 2025, will be the guest of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

According to the official spokesperson for the inauguration of the church and Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader, the Vatican guest is the second high-ranking personality from the Vatican to visit Jordan after the historic visit of the head of the Catholic Church in the world His Holiness Pope Francis who paid a visit on May 24-25, 2014. At the time, Cardinal Parolin was the head of the Vatican delegation accompanying the Pontiff on the fourth papal visit to the Kingdom.

Nowadays, after having marked last year the 30th anniversary of the official announcement of the start of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Cardinal Parolin comes as a personal legate from His Holiness Pope Francis to share with the Catholic Church in Jordan and the entire Holy Land its jubilation at the inauguration of the largest church in the world which bears the name of the Baptism, while being the holiest church as it is located in the proximity of the eternal Jordan River.

The Church of the Baptism Church of Jesus Christ is considered the largest church at the Baptism Site, and it is one of the largest churches in the Middle East. After its official inauguration, this Baptism Church will join the constellation of historic and important churches in the Holy Land, namely the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Holy City of Jerusalem, apart from being endorsed as a pilgrimage site in the Jubilee Year of 2025, which is celebrated by the Catholic Church throughout the world.

Biography of Cardinal Parolin

On the biography of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, Fr. Bader says that he was born in Schiavon, Italy, on 17 January 1955.  At the age of 14 he entered the seminary of Vicenza and was ordained a priest on 27 April 1980.

In 1983, he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1986, subsequently serving in Nigeria and Mexico.  In 1986 he also obtained a degree in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Since 2000, he has worked with the then Bishop Attilio Nicora on the matters pertaining to the implementation of the revision of the Lateran Concordat of 1984, with particular reference to the military ordinariate. On 30 November 2002 he was appointed Undersecretary of the Section of the Secretariat of State for Relations with States.

Particularly expert in matters concerning the Middle East, and more generally in those regarding the geo-political situation of the Asian continent, he has worked specifically to build up and reinforce relations between the Holy See and Vietnam. He also contributed to reopening dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, convinced of the need for a shared effort to “create the conditions for a true and just peace” in the Middle East. In December 2008 he led the delegation that took part in the work of the Permanent Bilateral Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel. On several occasions he has acted as spokesman for the Apostolic See expressing its wish to work with international organizations to safeguard the basic rights of the person, including religious freedom.

On 17 August 2009, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela and was elevated to dignity of Archbishop with the titular Episcopal See of Acquapendente. He received his episcopal ordination on 12 September 2009.

On 31 August 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Secretary of State and he entered into office on 15 October.

Member of the Council of cardinals established to advise Pope Francis in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, ‘Pastor Bonus’.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 22 February 2014, of the Title of Santi Simone e Giuda Taddeo a Torre Angela (Sts. Simon and Jude Thaddeus at Torre Angela).

On 26 June 2018, with Rescriptum ex Audentia Ss.mi, the Holy Father Francis decided to co-opt Cardinal Pietro Parolin in the Order of Bishops, equating him in all respects to the Cardinals who were given the Title of a suburbicarian Church.

On 7 March 2023 the Holy Father Francis, having to renew the Council of Cardinals upon the expiry of the mandate of the preceding one, has appointed Cardinal Parolin as member of the new Council.

Fr. Ri'fat Bader adds that the great guest is expected to arrive at Amman Airport at an early time on Friday, January 10, where he will preside at the consecration ceremony of the altar and the inauguration of the Baptism Church of Jesus Christ, which was built by the Latin Patriarchate with the generosity of Knight of the Holy Sepulcher Mr. Nadim Mu'asher, and other benefactors, in addition to the State of Hungary. The church, with an area of 30 dunums, is built on a land provided by the Jordanian State. The area of ​​the church is 1,500 square meters, in addition to two adjacent monasteries supervised by priests and nuns of the Incarnate Word. The church can accommodate more than a 1,000 worshippers. According to Father Bader, more than 6,000 people are expected to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the church, who will come from all over Jordan, in addition to a number of officials and ambassadors.