In the Holy Land of Jordan, where the echoes and memories of prophets and saints continue to reverberate, a sanctuary has witnessed the unfolding of Christianity at the early times. It is the “Jordan Dawn of Christianity” exhibition, being held at Palazzo Della Cancelleria in Rome on January 31-February 28, 2025, which showcases Jordan’s Christian heritage.
The exhibition "Jordan: The Dawn of Christianity" was launched on Friday, January 31, 2025, in the Vatican under the patronage of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab, in the presence of the Jordan’s Ambassador in Rome Qais Abu Dayyeh, Director of the Jordan Tourism Board Dr. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, a number of religious and tourism personalities, a number of members of the Senate, and a remarkable presence of Italian and Vatican media coverage.
In the course of the activities of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan, CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader has taken the lead by unstintingly calling for promoting interfaith dialogue, harmony, common living, and peace in the Middle East--which has been wrought for decades by successive waves of conflicts and instability--through holding lectures, conferences, and various kinds of gatherings.
In the year 2000, I recall writing an article titled, “A Blessed Feast in a Blessed Year,” marking the birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, may God protect him.
January 31- February 28 will mark an outstanding event in the history of Christianity.
With the recent dramatic developments in Syria that led to a change in the ruling system, large masses of Syrian prisoners were set free.
In his remarkable book, titled, "Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril", His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein describes his visit to the Baptism Site in 2009, and refers to it on page 336 saying: “Queen Rania and I went to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where the Baptism Site is located, in the company of Pope Benedict, where the Pontiff blessed the foundation stones of two new churches, namely the Latin Archdiocese, and the Greek Catholic Archdiocese."
The first star is from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Tla' Al-Ali, where the nativity scene was designed in the shape of a map of the Holy Land, namely conjoined Jordan and Palestine.
With the world marking Christmas, the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, the world continues to suffer from waves of wars, hunger, and instability particularly in the Middle East. It is a groaning world with shed blood seeping heavily in several parts of the world.
During Christmas, people worldwide offer prayers and raise their hands high in prayer seeking the Prince of Peace’s mercy and divine intervention to silence the sounds of war as well as to help “beat swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks.” (Isaiah 2:4)
Since His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein’s ascension to the Throne, he has been embarking on welcoming the heads of Churches in Jordan and Palestine to convey to them well wishes marking Christmas and the start of the new year. This took place since 1999, namely since the first Christmas of the reign of His Majesty King Abdullah II. As we mark the silver jubilee of His Majesty‘s ascension to the Throne, we also mark the silver jubilee of this annual Christmas meeting, which has taken on the character of a distinctive, necessary, and inspiring annual meeting.
