Pope Francis has praised the Jordanian spirit of hospitality demonstrated towards the refugees of Middle Eastern countries. Pope Francis said, in his annual address on Monday, January 12, to diplomats accredited to the Holy See on the occasion of exchanging good wishes marking the advent of the new year: "I found the spirit of hospitality in Jordan which I visited at the beginning of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land", referring in particular to the commitment to hosting refugees coming from other countries of the Middle East.
In a statement issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM), CCSM Director Fr. Rif'at Bader said that at the beginning of every year His Holiness the Pope reviews with the diplomatic representatives of more than 190 countries and international organizations that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See, or Vatican City State, the most important events taking place at the year coming to an end, and sheds light on both the dark and bright aspects of global events.
Fr. Bader that said that reference to Jordan was reported in the second part of Pope Francis' speech following his review in the first part of the several tragedies and conflicts that have taken place or continued in the past year. He also focused on the culture of rejection, violence and extremism that is sweeping the world, especially in the Arab region. But the Pope, after reviewing the tragedies, he told the audience: "At the beginning of a new year, though, we do not wish our outlook to be dominated by pessimism, or the defects and deficiencies of the present time. We also want to thank God for the gifts and blessings he has bestowed upon us, for the occasions of dialogue and encounter which he has granted us, and for the fruits of peace which he has enabled us to savour."
He added that so long that the first part of the address can be labeled as the "culture of exclusion," the second part can be labeled as the "culture of meeting." In Pope's view this is possible as he enumerated Jordan's efforts to receive refugees as part of this culture that is highly appreciated by the Holy See, the Pope himself, and the international community.
Fr. Bader added the Pope visited Jordan last May and met refugees at the Baptism Church in the Baptism Site to give our beloved country more determination to complete our march within our national unity, under our noble Hashemite leadership, and through our overture to receive our displaced brethren and refugees to whose countries we hope that security and stability will be restored.
Referring to the Holy Land and political conditions there, Fr. Bader said that Pope Francis, in the same address, turned his thoughts above all to the Middle East, beginning with the beloved land of Jesus which he had the joy of visiting last May, and said that we will never tire of pleading for peace which we vehemently and confidently requested. He called for the resumption of peace talks for the sake of ending violence and reaching a solution which can enable Palestinians and Israelis alike to live at last in peace within clearly established and internationally recognized borders, thus implementing the two- state solution.
