Global Arab Network | Pope urges Eastern Christians to preserve the ancient faith

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Pope urges Eastern Christians to preserve the ancient faith

King_Abdullah_of_jordan_and_Queen_Rania_Al_Abdullah_accompanied_Pope_Benedict_XVI

Pope Benedict XVI has held a mass in the Jordanian capital, urging the country's Catholic minority to preserve their ancient faith and traditions and work with other religions to enrich their daily lives.

Addressing around 50,000 Christians from Jordan and the neighboring countries attending the first open-air Mass of his Middle East pilgrimage, the Pope called upon Christians to keep performing their prayer and abide by their religious teachings based on love and peace in an area plagued with conflict and turbulence for decades.

Christians should show love and service for others and should contribute to building a more just community and to provide material and moral assistance to Christian sects to help them assume a better role in community service, said the Pope.

"The Catholic community here is deeply touched by the difficulties and uncertainties which affect all the people of the Middle East," Benedict told the crowd.

" I have waited for so long to have this opportunity to stand before you and encourage you to preserve your faith, hope and love," said the Pope in the third day of his four-day state visit to Jordan.

He highly appreciated the role of Christian women who have dedicated their lifetime to build peace and spread loveliness.

"Many have devoted their lives to building peace and fostering harmony," said the Pope.

Tens of thousands of Jordanian, Arab and foreign Christians rushed to Amman stadium early morning on Sunday to attend the Pontifical Mass held by the Catholic Church.

They expressed thanks to Jordan for making this opportunity available for them to take part in the religious service.

Sunday prayers were canceled in all churches to make it possible for the Christian sects to attend the prayer with the Pope and Jordanian Christians were allowed to leave work on Sunday to attend the Mass.

Later on the day the Pope is due to travel some 50 kms from Amman to Bethany beyond Jordan on eastern bank of River Jordan, the Baptism site of Jesus, the Christ.

King Abdullah Of Jordan and Queen Rania Al Abdullah accompanied Pope Benedict XVI on his visit to the Baptism Site.

After they drove to the Jordan Valley site, King Abdullah and the pontiff were briefed on the Baptism site and antiquities unearthed by excavations, which were compatible with the Bible story.

The King and the Pope unveiled a memorial plaque and laid the foundation stones for the Latin and Roman Catholic Churches, which will be built at the Site.

Pope Benedict held Prayer for Renewal Baptism.

The Pontiff said "the Jordan River always reminds you that you have been washed by baptismal water and have become members of Jesus' family (Christ, The Messiah)".

The Pope asked the Christian community to work for the sake of understanding in the society.

He was quoted as saying "Work for the sake of dialogue and understanding in civil society, especially when you demand your rights".

He stressed that Christians in the Middle East had suffered tragic pain, years of violence and unresolved conflicts and were called upon to contribute to reconciliation and peace through the teachings inspired by Jesus Christ of forgiveness and generosity.

Patriarch Fouad Tawal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said it was a historic event that two leaders, King Abdullah and the Holy Pope, had met in a distinguished and holy place which is the land of Baptism.

Latin Bishop of Jordan, Salim Sayegh, expressed appreciation for the King for his interest in Christian holy places in Jordan. King Abdullah, he added, had dedicated himself to peace in this region.

At the end of the prayer, Prince Ghazi BIn Mohammad, the King's Private advisor, presented the Pope with a mosaic portrait of antiquities in the Baptism Site and a picture of His Holiness the Pope.

Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil Al Sharif said that Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Jordan had met the aspired goals and helped to further boost the historically close ties between Muslims and Christians in the Kingdom.

"The pope's visit underscored that this homeland is for all and enjoys the respect of all its citizens, Muslim and Christian, and is worthy to be a leading and unique model in the international arena in co-existence, love, tolerance and cooperation among all peoples of the globe," Sharif told Petra in an interview.

He said in comments at the end of the pontiff's visit that in remarks welcoming the head of the Catholic Church, His Majesty King Abdullah II had reaffirmed the need to stand firm against voices and ideologies opting for division and threatening to inflict greater suffering.

"We should stand against those voices to protect the future of our world, and it is imperative that we renew our collective commitment to mutual respect and to lay the foundation for a new global dialogue whose pillars are understanding and good faith," the minister said.

Sharif said King Abdullah had exerted relentless efforts to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution, which would enable Palestinians to set up their independent state.

"This is the kind of peace sought by His Majesty and the world at large to crystallize a dialogue of religions and civilizations among peoples and nations in various spots of the world, where there will be no room for violence and extremism," he added.

Sharif said the Pope's trip was an opportunity to express his respect for Islam and all Muslims everywhere, noting that the pontiff had lauded the king's role in creating better awareness of values embraced by Islam.

He said the papal pilgrimage, which started in Jordan, was also an opportunity for the world to see the Kingdom's treasures and rich religious, historic and archaeological sites, adding that it had put the country in the international spotlight as thousands from Arab and friendly countries converged on the kKngdom for the event. ((Petra, other))

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