The sessions of the Ecclesiastical Court’s 11th Annual Canon Law Conference were launched under the patronage of  Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The conference is held by the ecclesiastical courts affiliated with the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, Amman, and Nazareth under the title, "Towards Ecclesiastical Legal Culture: Marriage, Rulings, and Norms of Ecclesiastical Trials."

In attendance at the opening session Dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota Archbishop Alejandro Cedillo, President of the Court of Cassation and President of Jordan's Judicial Council Mr. Muhammad Al-Ghazou, Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, and Acting Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Fr. Jihad Shwaihat.

Furthermore in attendance were President of the Higher Presidential Committee of Churches Affairs Dr. Ramzi Khoury, Palestine Ambassador to the Holy See Issa Qassisiyeh, bishops, judges, priests, Superior General of the Rosary Sisters Mother Sophie Hattar, some hundred lawyers, from Jordan, Palestine, the Galilee, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq, and lawyers from the Vatican.

After playing the national anthem, Director of the Pastoral Office of Marriage and Family Fr. Bashir Bader presented a prayer from the Holy Bible, which  was followed by a minute of silence and prayer for the souls of the fallen in Gaza. This was followed by shots from the solidarity visit that has earlier been paid by Cardinal Pizzaballa to the afflicted Strip in May.

President of this year’s conference Fr. Dr. Majdi Siriani read out the message addressed by His Holiness Pope Francis to the participants in the conference, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in which His Holiness encourages the participants regarding the importance of maintaining to renew commitment to the search for truth, which is firmly concomitant with justice and mercy.

A documentary video film prepared by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media was screened on the canon law conferences over the course of eleven years. The film included scenes from the national celebration of the silver jubilee of His Majesty the King’s ascension to the Throne, indicating that choosing Jordan to be the site for many years to hold this conference is an indication of the security and stability that allows lawyers from sisterly Arab countries and friendly foreign countries to come to Jordan, the country of common living and harmony.

In his address, Cardinal Pizzaballa touched on the visit he paid to Gaza Strip months ago, and noted that the Gaza Strip is experiencing a difficult and tragic situation. He pointed out that we as a Church cannot remain silent in view of what is happening, but we rather speak out and act. He pointed out that the Latin Patriarchate was able a few days ago to send forty tons of food supplies to about a thousand families living in northern Gaza, and stressed that the Latin Patriarchate will do everything in its power to provide humanitarian assistance and psychological support with confidence and without any fear.

Regarding the conference, Cardinal Pizzaballa indicated that over the past 10 years, the conference was able to provide permanent training for everyone who works in the legal field to serve families and humanity in general. He also stressed the need to strengthen all forms of cooperation between various universities and institutions in the regions of the Middle East to serve in upholding the values of the sacrament of holy matrimony. He addressed the lawyers by saying: "Your service, according to the ecclesiastical concept, must not be based only confined to legal affairs, but must be accompanied by pastoral care for the afflicted families with whom you deal".

For his part, Archbishop Alejandro Cedillo pointed out that the tragedies witnessed in the Holy Land must not make us forget the religious and humanitarian values ​​it conveys with regards to love, brotherhood in humanity, as well as working sincerely for truth and justice. He said that the testimony required from the servants of justice, especially at these difficult moments, is based on three tasks, namely not confining justice to legal formalities; avoiding abstract fallacies that are far from the real life of people who suffer; and presenting mercy as a basic law of human relations.

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church insists on adhering to its teachings regarding the importance of defending the family and recognizing its rights, and also working to remind civil authorities that there cannot be a true human society without recognizing family founded on marriage as the primary unit of society, and without protecting the rights of this family in civil systems. In conclusion, he called on the conference to enhance those working of those working this field towards the attainment of truth and justice.

Mr. Muhammad Al-Ghazou stressed in his address that the Jordanian Constitution has guaranteed the independence of the judiciary by explicitly stipulating that the judiciary is an independent authority.

The opening session was concluded by reciting a prayer quoting St. Thomas More patron of the Church lawyers.