With great pride and joy, the extended Jordanian and international families have participated in the inauguration of the Baptism Church of Lord Jesus Christ while this event has had several repercussions.

At the local level, in the first place, the security and stability of beloved Jordan and the sanctity of its lands were emphasized with the presence of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein’s envoy, His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief Adviser for religious and cultural affairs and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site Commission. This presence had a special impact on all those who participated in this celebration, or watched it live as it was thankfully transmitted  by Jordan TV and provided free transmitting to world channels.

At the global level, in the second place, the inauguration ceremony was attended by the legate of His Holiness Pope Francis, namely Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is referred to according to the norm as the “prime minister” or “chief diplomat of the Holy See” as he represents the Holy See in important international fora. Ranking second after the Pope, he represents the Holy See in important international fora. Following the inauguration ceremony, he met with His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Ja’far Hassan, and Minister of Tourism Lina Annab. He visited a number of religious tourist sites, met with heads of Catholic and sisterly churches, and a number of officials, especially in the governorates of Madaba and Balqa.

From a Christian and religious point of view, it was asserted that Jordan is a holy land, and this follows the great efforts made over 25 years of dedication, building, and paving the way for this religious tourist infrastructure, which has been completed with the inauguration of this church. Of course, there are still several churches that have not yet been inaugurated, or not yet built, after the foundation stones were laid.

 We want to underline the fact that assumptions have disappeared with this inauguration. In 2000, a question was raised: Is Jordan a holy land? Now this question is no longer raised, as everyone recognizes Jordan as a holy land and a land of holiness. Arguments and questions were raised about the authenticity of the Baptism Site in this spot of Earth. Now, these questions have dissipated especially after the visit of three Popes, and after the announcement of adding the Baptism Site to the World Heritage List, and after the start of the project to develop the lands adjacent to the baptism Site, which will begin soon, after the sisterly and leading United Arab Emirates announced a massive great support for the project.

We look to the future in the wake of this large massive celebration that showed us as Jordanians and  as an extended family, with the combined efforts of civil, military, security, church, and media. First, we proceed to a period fewer than a month, when the great on-month Jordan exhibit will open in the Holy see, and will display several archaeological artifacts that tell the story of Jordan, its history, as well as its cultural and religious values, under the outstanding title: “Jordan... Dawn of Christianity.”

Then we proceed to the year 2030, when we celebrate with the whole world the elapse of 2,000 years since the baptism of Lord Jesus Christ, as everyone knows that the Holy Bible tells us that Lord Jesus Christ was baptized at the age of 30. Therefore, in 2030, we will celebrate, with peace and tranquility, the elapse of 2,000 years since baptism, as the celebration will be Jordanian par excellence. As we celebrated the elapse of 2,000 years since the “birth” of Lord Jesus Christ in 2000, we will celebrate in five years the elapse of 2,000 years since the “baptism” of Christ. But this requires serious and carefully planned preparation, as the most important thing is that cooperation serves as a way to prepare for the Holy Hashemite Jordanian Jubilee, since it is the great jubilee of the baptism of Christ in our eternal river and the spread of Christianity from our blessed land.

After we took a look at the future, through the wonderful inauguration that showed us, as has always been the case, an extended and united family, which is what His Majesty always focuses on. So, let us prepare and get ready for that year and its major events, through a five-year plan, in a good and positive spirit, and with the enthusiasm of a united team, and with great and authentic cooperation, until we reach that happy year, which we will call, God willing, the Jubilee of the Nashama 2030.