Yesterday there were “cordial conversations” between Francis and the Hashemite monarch. It was the fifth meeting in less than 10 years. The “common concern” for the holy city and for the permanence of Christians in the Middle East region. The problem of poverty and unemployment after the pandemic. And religious tourism, to sustain the economy.
Amman () – Continuing on the path of interreligious dialogue, preserving the Christian presence in the Middle East and guaranteeing the “freedom” of the Church’s mission in the country – these are the elements highlighted in the Holy See’s statement, but which they are “absent” in Haman’s declaration. These are the essential points of the face-to-face meeting held yesterday in the Vatican by Pope Francis and Jordanian King Abdullah II, “the fifth” for the current pontiff, as he stressed to Father Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCEMC). A meeting, like the previous ones, which focused “on Jerusalem and the holy places”, continues the parish priest, whose situation is “a source of concern for both the Pope and the monarch”, who is traditionally “the protector” of the area for Muslims and Christians. “The Holy See itself,” he adds, “has highlighted the role of the Hashemites.”
The priest of Jordanian origin, born in al-Wahadneh in 1971, points out that the Vatican affirmed the need to “carry out missionary work with full freedom”, a fundamental aspect to “guarantee, reinforce and protect” the Christian presence. Almost 10 years have passed since the conference “The challenges of Arab Christians in the Middle East”, which was held in Amman from September 3 to 5, 2013. And there are many events that have caused a new exodus: the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in Syria and Iraq, the wars and migrations that have caused ” the loss of almost two million Christians in the Middle East”. Abdullah, continues Fr. Rifat, “also feels this concern” and intends to work to “preserve identity” in the region, because “protecting Christians also means protecting the entire Middle East”.
In the final declaration at the end of the “cordial talks”, the Holy See reiterated the “need to continue developing interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, always guaranteeing that the Catholic Church in Jordan can freely exercise its mission”. The note then refers to the “Palestinian question and the refugee question”, as well as guaranteeing the “need to continue preserving the status quo in the Holy Places of Jerusalem, a meeting place and a symbol of peaceful coexistence”. The official Jordanian news agency Petra He highlighted the issue of coexistence and interreligious dialogue, together with the need to “unblock the peace process in the Middle East.” This last point remains the “prerequisite for security and stability” also in Jerusalem, which is the “key” to “achieve peace in the region”.
“In the holy city – points out Father Rifat – there are only 6,000 Christians left and this causes suffering. Even the Pope and the King have shown their concern. Their meeting, which follows the pontiff’s trip to Bahrain, is a new impulse to reinforce the relations, especially in the Arab world and in the Gulf, with which a door has been opened”. Jordan, he continued, “continues to be a model of interreligious dialogue and ecumenism”, but it needs help and support to continue its work in welcoming the many refugees, including Christians, who have found refuge in the Hashemite kingdom. “Even and especially today, when Jordan is recovering after the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, many families suffer from poverty and unemployment, many projects are waiting to be unblocked.” The priest concludes: “tourism must be supported, especially religious tourism, which is an essential contribution to the country’s economy.”
