The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin as pontifical legate for the consecration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus, Jordan, due  to take place on 10 January 2025.

For his part, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and president of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land, has extended invitations to fraternal Catholic and Latin Churches to attend the solemn Mass to be celebrated on Friday, January 10, 2025, at Church of the Baptism of Jesus which is due to be the dedicated and inaugurated by guest of Jordan Cardinal Parolin.

On the other hand, Fr. Dr  Rif'at Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) and spokesperson for this event, has expressed his pleasure and the joy of the Catholic Churches in the Holy Land, namely in Jordan and Palestine, marking the presence of the legate of His Holiness Pope Francis who prayed during his papal visit in this church that was under construction, specifically on May 24, 2014.

Fr. Bader noted that the arrangements and preparations for this major church event are in full swing, firstly in the parishes with regards to registering the names of participants from all over Jordan through the Latin Churches in our beloved country, in addition to the presence of a large number of visitors and friends coming from abroad.

He also recalled the laying the foundation stone for this Church, which took place on May 10, 2009, when His Holiness the late Pope Benedict XVI laid the foundation stone, in the company of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah. On that day, Pope Benedict delivered a speech in which he said: "The memory of Christ’s own baptism is brought vividly before us in this place… down through the centuries, many pilgrims have come to Jordan to seek purification, renew their faith and draw closer to the Lord. Such was the pilgrim Egeria, who left a written account of her visit during the late fourth century."

Father Bader added that the construction of the Church was carried out under the direct supervision and generous donation of the Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, Mr. Nadim Mu'asher, in honor of the soul of his son Ayman, who died in a traffic accident in the area adjacent to Baptism Site. Fifteen years later, due to the contribution of Mr. Mu'asher, the Latin Patriarchate, and a number of benefactors, individuals, charitable organizations, and countries, such as friendly country of Hungary, the church was built on a plot of land donated by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and His Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site.

The CCSM has also presented invitations to media institutions and agencies that wish to attend and cover this event in coordination with the CCSM and the Ministry of Government Communications. The event will have media coverage from local, Arab, and international media outlets. A number of media journalists have been invited by the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board to participate in this major event.

According to the preparatory committees for this event, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church choir in Tla' Al-Ali will present the hymns of the Mass with the supervision of the liturgical committee. Students from the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Beit Jala will serve the Holy Mass, and the celebrations will be accompanied by musical performances by a group of Catholic scout bands in Jordan. It is expected that more than 7,000 pilgrims will attend the event, in buses provided by the Jordan Tourism Board, as tents and large screens have been set up at the squares for worshipers.

Fr. Bader said that this major event, which is due to receive wide media coverage, will have global media reverberations as it will witness a religious tourism renaissance to this site, being the largest church in the world bearing the name of the Baptism. It is built on the Jordan River, and it is the one closest to the waters of the holy river in the area of ​​the Baptism Site.

 Father Bader continued that the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus coincides with the 25th anniversary of the onset of the annual pilgrimage to this site in modern era, as we have started this since the year 2000 with two celebrations. The first one took place in January, in which all the churches of the Kingdom participated and 2,000 candles were lit in celebration of the Great Jubilee. The second celebration was attended by 40,000 people from all over Jordan and was headed by Pope John Paul II, who has become a saint, at Tell of Mar Elias near the Jordan River, in March.

On this occasion, Fr. Bader recalled all the good efforts undertaken by the Royal Baptism Site Commission whose board of trustees is chaired by His Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, and with the commission comprised of a number of church leaders and experts. He pointed out that the Baptism Site will undergo massive preparations to develop the lands surrounding it over the next five years, as we will celebrate in 2030 the 2,000th anniversary of the baptism of Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the eternal Jordan River.