Crowds welcome Pope Francis to Jordan at start of Holy Land trip
May 24, 2014
Pope Francis arrives in Jordan's capital
His trip has been billed as a "pilgrimage for prayer," with its roots in faith, not politics.
But in a region where religion and politics are so closely intertwined, his every remark will take on an added significance.
Thousands of faithful
packed the International Stadium in Amman for Saturday's Mass, in what
is a majority Muslim nation with a significant Christian community.
Small groups of cheering
supporters earlier lined the road, waving flags and chanting "Long live
the pope," as Francis' motorcade left the airport in Jordan's capital,
Amman, at the start of his three-day visit to the region.
The pope's first stop was at al-Husseini Royal Palace in Amman, where he met with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
In televised remarks
after that meeting, Francis paid tribute to Jordan's efforts to promote
interfaith tolerance and to the welcome the small nation has given to
Palestinian refugees and, more recently, those fleeing war-torn Syria.
Francis said it was "necessary and urgent" that a peaceful solution was found to the crisis in Syria.
He also called for a
"right solution with regard to the situation between Israel and the
Palestinians." Middle East peace talks recently stalled despite
high-profile efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to push them
forward.
"I grasp this
opportunity to renew my esteem and respect for the Muslim community and
show my appreciation for the work carried out by his Majesty the King,
which is promoting further understanding between peoples of different
faith and communities of different faith," Francis said.
The Holy Land trip, also
taking in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, is the first for Francis as leader
of the Roman Catholic Church, and just the fourth for any pontiff in the
modern era.
It marks the 50th
anniversary of the landmark meeting between Pope Paul VI and the
then-spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Patriarch
Athenagoras, in Jerusalem.
Landmark meeting
While in Jordan, Francis
will greet some of the 600,000 Syrians that have fled since the start
of the civil war in 2011, as well as refugees from Iraq. He will also
visit the River Jordan, where many Christians believe Jesus was
baptized.
Accompanying Francis on
his trip are Rabbi Abraham Skorka, who co-wrote a book with the pontiff,
and Sheikh Omar Abboud, who leads Argentina's Muslim community.
Pope Francis
Popes and the Queen
Popes and Presidents
The religion of the pope's traveling companions, both of whom hail from his home country, Argentina, is no coincidence.
"It's highly symbolic, of course," said the Rev. Thomas Rosica, a consultant to the Vatican press office.
"But it also sends a
pragmatic message to Muslims, Christians and Jews that it's possible to
work together -- not as a system of checks and balances but as friends."
In Bethlehem, Frances
will greet children from refugee camps, celebrate Mass in Manger Square,
lunch with Palestinian families, and visit the site of Jesus' birth.
The pope is expected to call for a Palestinian state, which has long
been Vatican policy.
And in Jerusalem, the
pontiff will meet the city's grand mufti and chief rabbis, visit the
Western Wall and Yad Vashem, a memorial to the Holocaust, and lay a
wreath on the grave of the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl. He
will also celebrate Mass at the site of the Last Supper.
Francis will meet with
the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Bethlehem,
and with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President
Shimon Peres while in Jerusalem.
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