in Amman ‘untiring and vital efforts’ on behalf of refugees

In the closing statement of the annual visit, the bishops of Europe and North America highlight the commitment of the Hashemite kingdom to welcome them. Jordan is an “integral” part of the Holy Land and an example of interreligious encounter and dialogue. The ambitious restoration project of the place of Baptism and the goal of one million pilgrims by 2030.

Amman () – Jordan “hosts more displaced people than almost all other countries” in the region, people fleeing violence in Iraq, Yemen and Syria who are provided with “accommodation, professional training, medical services, care pastoral care and support”, highlighted the European and North American bishops of the Holy Land Coordination (HLC), at the conclusion of their annual visit to the Hashemite kingdom that took place between January 12 and 19. In the final communiqué, the delegation praises the “tireless and vital effort” of people inspired by the Gospel to defend “human dignity” and guarantee the defense of “the rights” of all, beginning with the last.

When reviewing the meetings with the Iraqi refugees, the bishops of the Coordination speak about the fear of the “continuing insecurity” and the “lack of opportunities” in the countries of origin, encouraging to offer a “dignified treatment” to those who seek refuge , especially “access to health care and the right to work”. However, aid to refugees must be accompanied by support for the countries that host them, relieving the “pressure” on local communities that “do not have the necessary resources” to cover the needs of all. That is why the West must, on the one hand, increase “health care” and, on the other, guarantee “a broader reception for the refugees themselves.”

The Coordination also recalls in its statement that the Hashemite kingdom is an “integral part” of the Holy Land “because it is the place of the baptism” of Christ and the beginnings of his ministry. The visit, the bishops observe, is “more than a pilgrimage”, because it is a “communion visit” with all those who “live their Christian faith here” and form “living parish communities […]”. And with regard to pilgrimages, the Amman authorities announced a few days ago an ambitious project to renovate the site of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River worth more than 100 million euros. The aim is to revitalize the area to attract up to a million tourists and pilgrims -Christians and non-Christians, given the value it also has for Jews and Muslims- between now and 2030, the symbolic date that marks the 2,000th anniversary of said Baptism.

The Bishops also applaud the contribution of Christian schools in meeting the different confessions and the testimony of young people “committed to the enrichment” of the Church and society, despite the fact that they must face “important social and economic challenges”. The members of the Coordination also express their appreciation to the royal family, “bearers of peace and promoter of interreligious dialogue”, and add their “deep concern” about the “threats” to peaceful coexistence in Israel and the “intensification” of the violence in the West Bank, fueled by the “sustained growth” of settlements and the “highest number of deaths” in the last 20 years. From Mount Nebo, where Moses first saw the Promised Land, the bishops conclude, “we have now seen a painfully divided land” and recall the message of the late Pope Benedict XVI “in that place: The memory of Moses invites us to lift eyes not only to embrace with gratitude the mighty works of God in the past but also to look with faith and hope to the future.”