Pope calls for religious tolerance in visit to the Middle East
Pope calls for religious tolerance in visit to the Middle East
(about 7 hours later)
AMMAN, Jordan — On the first day of this whirlwind visit to the Holy Land, Pope Francis on Saturday praised Jordan for its atmosphere of religious tolerance and its care of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
AMMAN, Jordan — On the first day of a whirlwind visit to the Holy Land, Pope Francis spoke three times Saturday against the violence “lacerating” Syria and singled out for criticism those supplying and profiting from weapon sales to the embattled country.
“Such generosity merits appreciation by the international community,” the pope told Jordan’s King Abdullah II at a greeting ceremony.
Straying from his prepared remarks, the pope told an audience of Syrian refugees: “May God convert those who have projects of war. May he convert weapons manufacturers and traffickers so they become constructors of peace.”
The pope described the Syrians as “ravaged by conflict” and called for a “peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis and a just solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.”
The pontiff was not more specific. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been provided with weapons by Russia and Iran. The rebels have been supported with arms from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Libya. The U.S. Congress has approved transfer of “light weapons” to rebels, but a large flow of U.S.-supplied arms has not been reported.
Jordanian officials hope that the pope’s trip will encourage tourists and Christian pilgrims to see Jordan as “the other Holy Land” and come for a visit — and leave some money behind. The country is struggling under a weak economy and a flood of refugees.
Francis, whose trip is designed in part to offer solace and support to dwindling Christian populations in the Middle East, praised Jordan for its atmosphere of religious tolerance and its care of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
There are 600,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan and another 700,000 who came before the civil war broke out. The refugee camps are now some of the largest cities in Jordan — with Syrians making up about 20 percent of the nation’s population.
“Such generosity merits appreciation by the international community,” he told Jordan’s King Abdullah II at a greeting ceremony.
In his remarks, Abdullah praised the pope for his commitment to bettering relations between Muslims and Christians. The monarch also said that “your humanity and wisdom can make a special contribution to easing the crisis of Syrian refugees and the burden on neighboring host countries like Jordan.”
The pope called for a “peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis and a just solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.”
In addition to the Syrian refugees, Jordan is home to about a quarter-million Iraqis, and half of the Jordanian population is composed of Palestinians who fled Israel and the West Bank in the wars of 1948 and 1967.
Palestinian activists on social media immediately embraced the pope’s use of the term “just” as a sign he understands their position as the weaker power in the long-running Israel-Palestinian conflict, which saw the most recent U.S.-brokered peace negotiations end in failure after nine months.
Waving Jordanian and Vatican flags, about 6,000 revelers lined up near the tarmac of Queen Alia International Airport on the outskirts of Amman to welcome the pontiff for his first visit to the Middle East.
In his remarks, Abdullah praised Francis for his commitment to bettering relations between Muslims and Christians. The monarch also told him: “Your humanity and wisdom can make a special contribution to easing the crisis of Syrian refugees and the burden on neighboring host countries like Jordan.”
Jordanian Christians held up placards reading “pray for peace” and “we are with you, Pope.”
There are 600,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, as well as 700,000 who are unregistered, officials estimate. The refugee camps are now some of the largest cities in Jordan, and the influx has exacerbated the country’s economic problems.
At a ceremony at the Husseini Palace in western Amman, a 70-strong guard in Bedouin attire welcomed the pontiff with a 21-gun salute as cannons boomed, the highest honor bestowed upon visiting dignitaries in the kingdom.
Jordanian officials hope that the pope’s trip will encourage tourists and Christian pilgrims to see Jordan as “the other Holy Land” and come for a visit — and leave some money behind.
The pontiff was welcomed by a host of Jordanian and church officials, including Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal.
The pope called for greater “respect” for the religious freedoms of Christians across the Middle East, a minority whose numbers have shrunk because of sectarian violence and economic hardship.
The king and the pontiff had a closed meeting in which they discussed ways to reach a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and encourage “interfaith dialogue” between Christians and Muslims, according to the Jordanian royal court.
In a ceremony at a Catholic church still under construction on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was baptized, Francis blessed a group of 50 Iraqi and Syrian refugees who asked the pope to help protect some of the most ancient, and most threatened, communities in Christendom.
In his first statements as part of his three-day tour, the pope also called for greater “respect” for the religious freedoms of Christians across the Middle East, a minority whose numbers have shrunk due to sectarian violence and economic hardships.
“Pray for our future, blessed father,” Youssef, 38, a Syrian Christian who fled Damascus for Jordan late last year, told the pontiff as he received his blessing. Francis sprinkled the gathering with water from the river and told them, “Christ is with you.”
“Although Christians today are numerically a minority, theirs is a significant and valued presence in the fields of education and health care, thanks to their schools and hospitals,” the pope said.
The pope heads to Bethlehem on Sunday.
“Religious freedom is in fact a fundamental human right and I cannot fail to express my hope that it will be upheld throughout the Middle East and the entire world.”
Abdullah — whose 6.5 million-strong country is home to a quarter-million Christians and more than two dozen biblical sites revered by Christians — underlined the importance of preserving Christian communities in the historical Holy Land and urged greater cooperation between Christians and Muslims to confront the various crises in the region.
“The people of our two religions — more than half of humanity — are each other’s neighbors, everywhere,” said Abdullah, who serves as custodian over Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jordan and Jerusalem, a position recognized by both the U.N. and Israel.
“World peace depends on understanding among all peoples.”
After the meeting at the palace, the pope traveled to a sport stadium to celebrate Mass. Tens of thousands attended the service, including many young Jordanians.
“Peace is not something which can be bought; it is a gift to be sought patiently and to be ‘crafted’ through the actions, great and small, of our everyday lives,” he said.
He later added: “I also embrace with affection the many Christian refugees from Palestine, Syria and Iraq: Please bring my greeting to your families and communities, and assure them of my closeness.”
