On Friday, January 12, 2024, the Catholic Churches in Jordan marked the 24th national and Christian Pilgrimage Day to the Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ by holding a massive ceremonial Mass presided at by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, during which supplications and prayers were lifted up to stop the war and aggression against the Gaza Strip ،

 The attendees at the Baptism Site, which was celebrated at the Catholic Church of Baptism, included Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Jamal D'aibes, Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Petra and Philadelphia Joseph Jbara, Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan Bishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, representatives of the Maronite, Syriac, Chaldean, and Armenian Churches, priests, a number of Lower House of Parliament deputies, members of the diplomatic corps, and thousands of the faithful from various regions of the Kingdom.

Prior to the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) held a press conference with the participation of the patron of the celebration, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities His Excellency Dr. Imad Hijazin who represented His Excellency Minister of Tourism Makram Al-Qaisi, CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader, in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio Bishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, General Director of the Baptism Site Commission Engineer Rustom Mkhjian, as well as a number of bishops and heads of Catholic Churches in Jordan.

At the outset of the conference, a minute of silence, prayer, and mourning for the souls of the martyrs in Gaza was observed. Then, Fr. Rif'at Bader welcomed the journalists and the participants in the 24th anniversary of the Pilgrimage Day pointing out that Cardinal Pizzaballa is presiding at this Holy Mass for the first time since his elevation as cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis in late September 2023, This event stands as a remarkable papal sign to enhance the voice of the Holy Land, and the city of Jerusalem in particular, with its pain and hopes at the international and Catholic ecclesiastical arenas.

Fr. Bader pointed out that this year’s Pilgrimage Day coincides with the 50th anniversary of the launching of Middle East Council of Churches. It is half a century of the ecumenical and fraternal journey that brings together the various Churches and the four ecclesiastical families in the Middle East region, namely the Catholic family, the Orthodox family, the Eastern Orthodox family, and the Evangelical family.

He pointed out that the supplications this year will be for the intention of the absent peace in Palestine, for stopping the aggression against Gaza, and for delivering humanitarian aid smoothly to the afflicted people in the Strip. In this context, Fr. Bader expressed appreciation for the exorbitant efforts undertaken by Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein Ibn Abdullah II, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which acted at various political, diplomatic, and humanitarian levels, and for the efforts of the Jordanian Armed Forces represented in installing field hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in delivering relief aid to the fraternal Palestinian people, especially to the displaced people staying at the Church of the Holy Family and  the Church of Saint Porphyrios during the Christmas period.

Fr. Bader praised the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board, the Baptism Site Commission, as well as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site and Personal Advisor of His Majesty the King His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Mohammad for the unstinting efforts he exerts to encourage religious tourism in the Kingdom, the most recent of which were the meetings held a few days ago by His Excellency Minister Makram Al-Qaisi in both the Holy See and Italy to promote Christian pilgrimage, where the Year of John the Baptist, namely 2023 was announced to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the baptism of Lord  Jesus Christ in this holy spot.

In conclusion, Fr. Bader thanked the Jordan Arab Army and all the security apparatuses that watch over and cooperate with the Churches for ensuring the success of the annual pilgrimage. He also thanked all the scouts, youth, preparatory committees, hymn singing groups, and Latin Patriarchate Seminary students who came from Beit Jala, Palestine, and all those who were present and worked hard for making this blessed event successful.

For his part, Cardinal Pizzaballa referred to the meeting he had, along with the heads of churches and Islamic functionaries in Jordan and Palestine, especially from the city of Jerusalem, days before Christmas, as well as with His Majesty King Abdullah II, which was an opportunity to thank His Majesty, the Hashemite family, and the extended Jordanian family for their noble and historic stance with our dear sons and daughters in Gaza.

From the Baptism Site, His Beatitude Cardinal Piazzaballa renewed the call for an immediate cessation of the rhetoric of weapons, killing, displacement, and demolition of homes. He pointed out that this year's celebrations, as has been the case with Christmas, will be confined to religious rites in mourning for the martyrs, and in praying for the healing of the wounded and the suffering. He also noted that that all the Holy Masses will be devoted for the cessation of war, as well as for allowing charities and humanitarian organizations to deliver their humanitarian aid.

Cardinal Pizzaballa called on the international community to harmoniously act in accordance with what His Holiness Pope Francis and His Majesty King Abdullah II have been calling for, namely a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution and enacting a special status for the city of Jerusalem.

He said, "I have come from Jerusalem and I value all your efforts in the field of media. I also convey all the best for beloved Jordan so as to remain under the leadership of His Majesty the King whom we congratulate on his silver jubilee of ascension to the throne, and who encourages dialogue and encounter between Muslims and Christians.

Cardinal Pizzaballa addressed an invitation to pilgrims from all parts of the world to visit Jordan. He expressed gratitude with reference to the great efforts exerted by the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site, the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism, the Jordan Tourism Board, the Baptism Site, the Churches, and all those who work in this tourism sector, which is important for the Jordanian economy, as well the building of bridges between local churches and the world churches.

For his part, Dr. Imad Hijazin thanked His Beatitude Cardinal Pizzaballa for celebrating Holy Mass marking the Pilgrimage of the Catholic Churches. He pointed out that tourism has been damaged by the aggression against Gaza, and stressed that the Jordanian priority and concern at the present time is to stop the current aggression, and to have prosperous tourism restored again.

Regarding future plans to increase religious tourism trips to the Kingdom, Hijazin referred to the assiduous efforts exerted by the Ministry, under the Royal directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, as Minister of Tourism Makram Al-Qaisi held recently a series of important meetings with senior officials in the Holy See and with the Italian minister of tourism in order to encourage Christian pilgrimages to religious sites in the Kingdom.

After the press conference, the pilgrimage procession set off from the vicinity of the Russian Center for Pilgrims, with scout teams proceeding without ceremonial songs, in mourning for the martyrs, towards the Baptism Church. During the Holy Mass, Patriarch Pizzaballa sprinkled the crowds of believers with blessed water brought from the Jordan River while announcing the start of the annual pilgrimage to this important historical site.

In his homily, Bishop Jamal D'aibes recalled the spiritual meanings of baptism. He said, "Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we become a united Christian group preaching the message of Heaven, to glorify God in the highest, with peace on earth for human beings. Following the model of Lord Jesus Christ, every Christian is called upon to attain the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of justice, peace, and love. This is what we pray for today, for all those who are suffering and oppressed.”

Bishop D'aibes added, "At this Baptism Site history of salvation meets with the geography of the place, or as Pope Paul VI called it as 'the geography of salvation'. Here Jesus Christ was baptized and began preaching, calling for repentance and for the Kingdom of God. Here, the heavens were split open, and the barrier between God and people was removed... When we say ‘here’, this is not just a geographical reference. ‘Here’ means that God chose this place and this land. ‘Here’ means our pride is in our belonging to this country and to this geographical spot that God had sanctified. Here are our roots, here is our salvation, here is our pride and our mission."

At the conclusion of the Holy Mass, Secretary of the Latin Patriarchal Vicariate in Amman Fr. Imad Alamat, delivered an address in which he thanked all government agencies including the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board, the Baptism Site Commission, the Jordan Armed Forces and security apparatuses, the liturgical and logistical committees, and the youth movements, including scouts, youth, and hymn singers who worked unanimously to make this special day a success. He also thanked Lebanese hymn singer Christiane Najjar for her participation in the recitals of the Pilgrimage hymns this year.