His Excellency Bishop Jamal Daibes has assumed his spiritual duties as auxiliary bishop and Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan during the solemn Holy Mass he has presided--the first he celebrated in Jordan following his Episcopal ordination in Bethlehem a week earlier--and attended on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein by Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Yousef al-Isawi.

The Holy Mass, held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Amman, was attended by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christophoros Atallah, heads and representatives of Christian churches in the Kingdom, a number of bishops, priests, and nuns, the minister of culture,  members of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of church institutions, and believers from all over the Kingdom.

In an address at the church, Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Yousef al-Isawi conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Abdullah II to all the attendees, expressed his pride in them, and conveyed well wishes to Bishop Daibes on his Episcopal ordination and naming as Latin patriarchal vicar for Jordan while wishing him and those who serve with him success in the service of the Church and the homeland. He said, "There is no doubt that you will remain a loyal soldier of the Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian sanctities in noble Jerusalem, including the Latin Patriarchate, its sanctities and its interests that receive the attention and follow-up of His Majesty the King."

He also expressed his pleasure for His Excellency's follow-up on the issues relevant to the Latin Church in Jordan and Jerusalem on regular bases through his contacts with His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Mohammad. He also underlined the recommendations conveyed to him on the importance of preserving the unity of Churches and their mutual cooperation in the face of challenges, as well as the importance of having the Churches of Jerusalem maintain contacts with the Islamic Awqaf in order to preserve the custodianship and the Covenant of Omar that has preserved peace and Islamic-Christian common life in our Holy Land 1400 years ago.

He said: "We are proud in Jordan that the Hashemite kings have made our beloved homeland a model to be emulated in preserving the common Islamic-Christian social fabric, while consolidating the bonds of affection and of good citizenship, so that the contributions of Christians in all fields in Jordan are broadly praised which made the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan a continued safe haven and refuge for the Christians of the East who have been subjected to difficult circumstances at a time of war and adversity.” In conclusion, he pleaded with the Almighty God that Jordan would remain an oasis of security, safety and peace under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein.

 For his part, Bishop Daibes stressed in his homily during the Holy Mass that the mission and work of the Latin Patriarchate in Jordan has always been to serve this dear country with all its components, as well as in harmony and cooperation with the institutions and leadership of this country. He reiterated the commitment of the Latin Church and its numerous institutions to act for the good of the Church and the faithful, in addition to serving the nation with all its components, and spreading the message of Jordan, namely the message of the Hashemites, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Al Hussein Ibn Abdullah II.

He pointed out that the Latin Patriarchate extends on both sides of the River Jordan, so that the Church of Jordan is my Church, and I serve it with joy and enthusiasm. He said: "Since I live and serve in Jordan at present, Jordan is my homeland, just as Palestine is, and no one can differentiate between the brotherhood of unity and destiny like the lungs we breathe with." He also called on the believers to pray for him and for his mission of “walking together” for the good of the Church and the homeland, indicating that they are genuine citizens of this dear country, united by the one homeland, the one flag, and the Hashemite leadership.

In this context, Bishop Daibes pointed out that a bishop has several tasks as stated in the resolutions undertaken by the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican  which calls among others to concerting all efforts especially with priests, each one in his position and according to his responsibilities, as a single priestly body. Furthermore, the motto of "mercy and justice" which he chose for his Episcopal ordination is nothing but an integrated plan of action since the central mission of the Church is to spread God’s mercy, justice, and care for all human beings.

Upon the arrival of the chief of the Royal Hashemite Court who deputized for His Majesty the King, he was received by Patriarch Pierbattista, Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media Fr. Rif'at Bader, and Secretary General of the Latin Vicariate Fr. Imad Alamat.