This week, I accepted an official invitation to attend the closing ceremony of the 7th edition of the Amman International Film Festival, held at the remarkable site of the Castle Mountain (Jabal al-Qal'a) which is one of the most prominent archaeological and historical landmarks in Jordan's capital, Amman.
This year, the Latin Parish and the Church of St. Elijah in Al-Wahadneh, northern Jordan, celebrates the centenary of its founding (1926–2026), marking a full century of faith, benevolence, and service in a homeland that has always been a model of common living between Muslims and Christians.
The issue of euthanasia has once again come to the fore of European public debate after the French National Assembly approved a law authorizing what is termed as "assistance in dying" on 15 July 2026. The legislation was passed by a majority of 53.3 per cent of the members present, with 291 deputies voting in favor and 241 against.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)
On this painful day, as the decree was published noting the excommunication automatically incurred at the precise moment of the laying on of hands by the two Lefebvrite bishops de Galarreta and Fellay and by the four newly consecrated bishops, some have rightly pointed out the open contradiction of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.
As for the political aspect, it is already well known, and we do not wish to elaborated on it at length. There are fixed Palestinian principles affirming that any final solution must be based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on its national soil, with Jerusalem as its capital. This is the position that Jordanian diplomacy has always upheld in its unwavering support for the Palestinian rights.
It is a troubled history, marked by generous attempts, doors kept open, and opportunities offered.
I have been following football matches since 1982, when my family moved from the town of Al-Wahadneh (then part of Ajloun District) to settle in Amman. My father, may his soul rest in peace, bought us at the time a 20-inch black-and-white television which we viewed this as an extraordinary event. So, we avidly awaited watching football matches, as family members would divide their loyalties among Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, and other teams. Since then, football matches have become part of our family memories and an integral part of our childhood and youth.
At the dawn of the Great Sunday, the angels do not roll away the stone from the door of the tomb merely to proclaim life, but also to announce the end of the long Sabbath of Sorrows.
