Cardinal Pizzaballa at dedication of Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ

Image: LPJ

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, gave the following address at the dedication of the Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jordan today, Friday, 10 January.

Representative of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein,

His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, Chief Advisor to His Majesty the King for Cultural and Religious Affairs,

Legate of His Holiness Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See,

Dear brothers and sisters,

May the Lord give you peace!

It is with great pride and joy that we welcome you today at the gate of this church and say to everyone: "You are most welcome".

We have waited a long time for this day. For fifteen years we have been waiting for this outstanding and beautiful event that is taking place this year, in which we are celebrating the silver jubilee of this pilgrimage, namely 25 years since the beginning of the Christian pilgrimage to the Baptism Site (Al-Maghtas).

We salute His Majesty King Abdullah II for his patronage of the sanctity of Jerusalem and for being the father of Jordan, and especially for developing the Baptism Site, which has become ready to receive thousands of Christian pilgrims from various churches and from all over the world.

We also salute His Majesty the King's representative, His Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site, and thank him for his presence with us this morning, and for his support for the construction of a prestigious Latin church at this holy site.

We also welcome His Holiness Pope Francis, who wished to send His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin as Papal Legate on his behalf to inaugurate this church, which will be considered one of the most important religious landmarks in the region. We thank you, Your Eminence the Cardinal, for your presence on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis and hope that you will convey our greetings and thanks to His Holiness, who prayed with us in this church when it was still under construction.

Welcome to you who come from different parts of Jordan. Thank you for coming today to say that the church is made of stones, definitely! But it is made above all of living stones, and these living stones are the believers, as well as the descendants of the fathers and grandfathers who have lived here since ancient times.

This is an expression of gratitude to all those who have tirelessly given their daily efforts or financial support over a quarter of a century. We thank Divine Providence for sending us generous people who express their love not only for the Church in Jordan, but for the whole country, the leadership and the people.

Our deep gratitude goes to His Excellency Mr. Nadim Al-Muasher, Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, and his honorable family. We thank them for wanting to receive the consolation of heaven, after the death of their son Ayman, may his soul rest in peace, by generously donating to cover most of the costs of building the church.

Our sincere thanks also go to all the benefactors who contributed to this achievement, whether individuals, institutions, charitable organizations or governments. Today, in the presence of the Hungarian Minister of State, we extend our thanks to the State of Hungary, which donated part of the construction cost.

Dear friends, this church is first and foremost at the service of all the community, namely that of the faithful living in the Holy Land. Its doors are also open to all the dear pilgrims whom we invite to visit Jordan and to those who have already visited and wish to return. It is therefore a gift from the local Church to all dear friends everywhere who come to be blessed by the waters of the River Jordan and make a pilgrimage to this Church.

This event coincides with the Catholic Church's Jubilee year. We as a diocese began this jubilee on Holy Family Sunday, late last year at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. We thank all the pilgrims who will make the pilgrimage to this place. We thank the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordanian Tourist Board.

We also thank the Congregation of the Incarnate Word, which, with its priests and nuns, will offer us a spiritual service in this place. We encourage to make a spiritual retreat in this holy place and spend time in the "desert of John the Baptist"

Finally, on this blessed morning, let us pray for Jordan, for His Majesty the King, and for all believers to always be proud that Jordan is a holy site to which pilgrims come from all over the world, and that Jordan is safe and stable under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein Ibn Abdullah.

We also pray today, as Pope John Paul II prayed at this holy site in 2000, when he said: "I will include all the people of Jordan, Christians and Muslims, in my prayers, especially the sick and the elderly."

Let us pray for all the people who are suffering, especially those who could not pray with us here and who are following us through the media. And also pray for all those who are suffering in their own country due to the lack of security, stability and peace, especially in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, as well as all the regions of the world that need peace.

From the lowest point on earth, we raise our prayers for all people to the highest heavens. Congratulations again!

+Pierbattista