Jordan Prepares for Pope Francis’ Visit
Baku, April 29 (AZERTAC). Jordan is gearing up for Pope Francis’ visit next month, a trip that marks the 50-year anniversary of the first papal trip to the region.
While it has become a papal tradition to follow the steps of Jesus starting in Jordan, home to the pilgrimage site of Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the pope’s visit comes amid heightened tensions in the region which have forced many Christians to flee.
On May 24., the Pope will meet with King Abdullah and Queen Rania. He will also hold mass at an international stadium in Amman where fifty thousand people are expected to attend.
His itinerary includes a visit to the Bethany Beyond the Jordan Baptism site and he is scheduled to also meet with Syrian and Iraqi refugees, both Muslim and Christian, as well as disabled people at the Latin church there.
“We are looking forward to the Pope’s visit,” said Father Rifaat Bader, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Jordan and organizer of the papal visit. “The Pope wants to draw attention to the plight of those who are suffering as a result of the violence and were forced to flee their homes,” he said.
While Pope Francis has prayed for peace to prevail in Syria, the dwindling Christian population in the Arab World is a cause of concern for the Vatican.
The Pope told representatives of Catholic churches last year: “We should never resign ourselves to thinking of the Middle East without the Christians.”
Since the Iraqi war, hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled as their churches were targeted and priests abducted and killed. The war in Syria too has intensified the exodus of Christians who once made up 10 per cent the country’s estimated 23 million population. The fate of two Syrian bishops who were abducted in the north of Syria last year remains unknown.
There are at least 17,000 Christian Syrians who fled their homes to Jordan. They have been absorbed into the local community just like the vast majority of the nearly 600,000 registered Syrian refugees. Christian charities like Caritas provide relief for about 500 families.
In Jordan, Christians are a small community and continue to live for the most part in harmony with Muslims. The pope’s pilgrimage here is significant for a country that is rich with biblical sites and pitches itself as model of interfaith and coexistence.
“The historical visit reflects the country’s religious and touristic significance on the international map,” said Mohammad Al-Momani, minister of information. “It also underscores Jordan’s security and stability as well as its role in renouncing violence and terrorism.”
In preparation for the Pope’s visit, the Greater Amman Municipality has put forth an action plan to ensure cleaner and well-lit streets along the route the papal convoy will take.
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