VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI in the Holy Land (1) - Welcoming Ceremony: “I come to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of Biblical history.”

Amman (Agenzia Fides) – At 2:30pm on May 8, the Holy Father Benedict XVI was received by the King and Queen of Jordan at the Queen Alia Airport in Amman. “I come to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of Biblical history,” the Pope said in his speech, during the welcoming ceremony, following the greeting of King Abdullah II Bin Hussein. Anticipating the stages of his pilgrimage to the Biblical sites, including the blessing of a cornerstone for a Church to be built on the site of the Lord's Baptism, Benedict XVI affirmed: “The opportunity that Jordan’s Catholic community enjoys to build public places of worship is a sign of this country’s respect for religion, and on their behalf I want to say how much this openness is appreciated. Religious freedom is, of course, a fundamental human right, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that respect for all the inalienable rights and the dignity of every man and woman will come to be increasingly affirmed and defended, not only throughout the Middle East, but in every part of the world.”
The Holy Father then highlighted that the fact that his visit to Jordan is an opportunity to speak of my “deep respect for the Muslim community, and to pay tribute to the leadership shown by His Majesty the King in promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam.” Mentioning the Amman Message and the Amman Interfaith Message, Benedict XVI observed that “these worthy initiatives have achieved much good in furthering an alliance of civilizations between the West and the Muslim world, confounding the predictions of those who consider violence and conflict inevitable.”
The commitment of the Kingdom of Jordan to “promoting peace in the Middle East and throughout the world” was praised by the Pontiff, who recalled the efforts made in favor of peace by the late King Hussein and expressed his hope that his commitment to the resolution of the region’s conflicts continue to bear fruit “in efforts to promote lasting peace and true justice for all who live in the Middle East.”
Benedict XVI concluded his address by expressing his hope that “this visit and indeed all the initiatives designed to foster good relations between Christians and Muslims, will help us to grow in love for the Almighty and Merciful God, and in fraternal love for one another.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2009)