On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Latin bishops and priests in Jordan gathered marking Holy Thursday for a solemn Mass celebrated by Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop Iyad Twal. The celebration took place at Saint Mary of Nazareth Church in Sweifieh, western Amman, during which the priests renewed their priestly vows  in the presence of deacons, nuns, and the faithful.

In his homily, Bishop Iyad Twal focused on the identity of priesthood and its spiritual roots, noting that the greatest challenge that currently faces priests  is not external ministry or pastoral pressures, but rather the “erosion of priestly identity” when the ministry becomes merely a job, administration, or activity bereft of spiritual depth.

He pointed out that priesthood, according to Holy Bible, is not a human practice or an institution, but rather an extension of a divine idea that began at the time of creation, when humans were placed in the Garden of Eden to guard and serve it. He  added that these actions carry the roots of the original priesthood, and that the “fall” was also a collapse of this original mission.

He went on to say  that the Old Testament preserved this priestly conception through sacrifices, rites, and the temple, but it was a priesthood pointing toward a coming perfection that was fulfilled in Lord Jesus Christ, who brought the priesthood to its fullness on the Cross and made it an active mystery in the Church through the Last Supper and the Eucharist.

He continued that Lord Jesus  Christ did not abolish the priesthood but rather fulfilled it, making it associated with His eternal priesthood, noting that nowadays priests do not replace Christ, but share in His sacramental ministry within the Church. He stressed that priesthood does not serve as a job or a social role, but a sacramental identity concomitant with the altar and the Eucharist, calling on priests to permanently return to the roots of their vocation and to rediscover the true joy of priesthood in union with Christ and the faithful service to God’s people.

Concluding his homily, Bishop Iyad Twal called for prayer so as to maintain the fidelity and inner joy of priests, affirming that today’s world needs not priests to serve as managers or social leaders, but rather priests who deeply know their identity and live their mission in proclaiming Christ and serving the sacraments.