Latin Patriarch Of Jerusalem Calls For Visiting Jordan, Enjoying Its Religious Sanctity

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Al-Maghtas, Jan. 10 (Petra)-- Rasmi Al-Khazaleh- Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa calls for visiting Jordan and enjoying its religious sanctity.
At a press conference today, Friday, to commemorate the opening of the Latin Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ at the Baptism Site, Pizzaballa emphasized that the religious event coincides with the universal Catholic Church's celebration of the Silver Jubilee of the yearly pilgrimage to the Baptism Site. Cardinal Pietro Palolin, the Secretary of the Holy See in the Vatican State, represented the Pope.
"Pilgrims of Hope" is the theme for this year's Silver Jubilee celebration, he noted, and it calls on God Almighty to provide His servants in this sacred place hope, goodness, and optimism.
In May 2009, His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah were present as Pope Benedict XVI blessed the church's foundation stone.
"Three pilgrims have come to us with hope in this place for more than 25 years: Pope John Paul II in 2000, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, and Pope Francis in 2014 and 2009," Pizzaballa continued.
"From here, we offer up prayers for a radical resolution to the Palestinian problem, for Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, and for all the nations of the world that still seek peace and reconciliation, for the restoration of security and a ceasefire in Gaza and the rest of Palestine," he continued.
He praised the efforts of the church's engineer and builder, Nadim Muasher, who dedicated all of his skills, resources, and time to making this project a success, and expressed pride in the church's inauguration following years of tireless labor.
He clarified that the church will assist Jordanian Christians as well as Arab pilgrims who travel to Jordan, and he invited church members in friendly nations to travel to Jordan since it is a secure and safe country.
Pizzaballa expressed gratitude to everyone who helped make this significant religious event a success, prayed for God to grant peace and tranquility to the area, and said he hoped to see pilgrims return to Jordan, visit its sacred waters, and seek blessings in this church, which has been added to the list of historical and religious landmarks in the world.
Additionally, he conveyed his gratitude to the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site, which is led by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Chief Advisor to His Majesty for Religious and Cultural Affairs and His Majesty's Personal Envoy. He also praised the collaboration between the relevant parties in order to promote religious tourism in Jordan.
Additionally, he greeted Jordan's visitor, His Holiness Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was there on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, and thanked him for attending the inauguration of the Baptismal Church and presiding over the Mass.
The opening of this church, according to Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab, is a testament to the tremendous efforts of the engineers, supervisors, contractors, and donors who helped to complete this project. This is a significant step in the global preparations for the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Jesus Christ's baptism.
International media representatives were welcomed to Jordan by Annab, who also thanked them for their efforts in covering significant events in Jordan, such as the announcement two days ago of the "Jordan... Dawn of Christianity" exhibition in the Vatican and their involvement in this momentous occasion today.
According to her, the ministry is eager to work with nearby churches and all relevant stakeholders to promote religious tourism and enhance Jordan's position on the global religious tourism map.
She stressed that there is partnership and consensus in order to show the image of Jordan as it should be in terms of development, stability and security, in a way that enhances religious tourism.
In commemorating the silver jubilee of the Christian Catholic pilgrimage to this sacred location and these beautiful waters, Father Rifaat Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, emphasized the significance of this significant religious event seen by the wonderful region of Jordan.
He commended His Majesty King Abdullah II's directives from two years ago about the project to develop the land next to the Baptism Site and His Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad's efforts.
He noted that the construction of churches on this sacred territory is a symbol of the multifaceted rebirth that has occurred over the past 25 years, and he expressed joy and honor in commemorating the silver jubilee this year.
He made reference to Pope Saint John Paul II's 2000 initiation of the yearly pilgrimage to Al-Maghtas, which has since grown to be an annual occasion, with the third Friday of January serving as an Orthodox pilgrimage day and the second Friday as a Catholic pilgrimage day.
He clarified that today is the first day of planning for the commemoration of the 2000th anniversary of Jesus Christ's baptism in this sacred location in 2030.

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