On Monday, January 18, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa met with Lower House of Parliament Speaker Abdul Mun'im Odat as part of his pastoral visit to Jordan.

During the meeting, His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressed profound appreciation for the positions adopted by His Majesty King Abdullah II and his pivotal role in protecting the Christian sanctities in noble Jerusalem in light of the Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the Holy City. He also stressed the importance of the historic relationship between the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Jordan.

Furthermore, Patriarch Pizzaballa underlined the spirit of tolerance that is evident in the Jordanian state and its citizens. He added that Jordan has been presenting a model to be emulated in calling for peace and dialogue as well as in rejection of violence and extremism.

For his part, Lower House of Parliament Speaker Abdul Mun'im Odat conveyed well-wishes to His Beatitude Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa on his nomination as Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

He added that Jordan, under the leadership of  His Majesty King Abdullah II, continues to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land and in the region, stressing that the Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem will remain as the historical, legal and religious guarantee for preserving them.

He added that Jordan is a nonpareil state of tolerance with regards to its Muslim and Christian citizens, and noted that Jordanians rally behind their leader His Majesty King Abdullah II in his support for the role of the Jerusalem Council of Churches which aims at entrenching a culture of moderation, dialogue and preserving the property of churches and their institutions.

The meeting was attended by Christian members of the Lower  House of Parliament, Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli, Secretary General of the Latin Vicariate Fr. Imad Alamat, and Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media  Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader.

On the other hand, a number of ambassadors accredited to Jordan visited the Latin Vicariate in Amman and conveyed well-wishes to Patriarch Pizzaballa on his nomination as Latin patriarch of Jerusalem by His Holiness the Pope Francis in October 2020. In attendance were Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Bishop William Shomali and Charge d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Amman Monsignor Mauro Lalli.