 Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land - 29/03/2000 info: custodia@netvision.net.il |
Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land - 29/03/2000 info: custodia@netvision.net.il |
Amman 20.03.2000
Your Holiness, With joy, hope and respect, I join all Jordanians in welcoming
you to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. We welcome you to the Holy
Land as a man of peace, whose message of reconciliation and harmony
continues to echo throughout the world. We welcome you as a symbol
of all that is pure and noble in this life: faith and prayer to Almighty
God, and forgiveness for each other. We welcome you as a true reminder
to us all that the power of love is a much stronger and harder one
to attain than that of conflict and hatred. We welcome you as a fellow
believer in God, the Compassionate and the Merciful.
Your Holiness,
The people of this historic land attach special significance to
your historic visit. In many ways, it parallels that of Pope Paul
VI in 1964, which touched with its message Moslems and Christians
alike. In the words of His late Majesty King Hussein:" it was not
just a visit, it meant a great deal to us who believe in God, it meant
a coming together of people of both religions. It was a very very
great happening". It is now your turn, Your Holiness, which brings
the hope of a brighter future to those who have known nothing but
the misery of the past. Hope for the Palestinians who yearn for
justice and stability, a promise for the Israelis of security and
acceptance, comfort for the Lebanese of a better tomorrow, and hope
for the Syrians that the sad chapter of war is finally over .It
is also a prayer for our Iraqi brothers and sisters for a new brighter
day to finally dawn upon them.
It is now your turn that reminds us of important facts lest they
be forgotten: the virtues of faith and the absolute need for forgivness
of one's enemies. Your presence testifies to a commitment and an insistence
on justice that you have displayed wherever you have visited. It
is a true legacy that reinforces our determination to seek peace where
war was devastating and to look for harmony where discord and affliction
were present. It is a call for those believers in peace not to lose
hope.
Your Holiness,
This is a unique and emotional moment that brings closer the meaning
of tolerance and coexistence from a distant land of dreams. It is
a moment that witnesses a pilgrimage by a holy man to a crossroads
of history and geography, where religion started, and civilization
first emerged.It is also your first pilgrimage as ordained by God.
I know too well the spiritual nourishment that this brings, for
I too, have been blessed by God who enabled me to submit to him along
with millions of believers in Mecca last week. The commonality of
that experience is nowhere better expressed than in Allah's words:
" O Mankind,We created you from a single pair of a male and a female,
and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other.
Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is
the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well-acquainted
with all things."
As I welcome your holiness among us here in Jordan during this
memorable Jubilee Year of Peace, let me express the warmth and anticipation
that Jordanians of all walks of life harbor for you. Your mission
is benevolent and your cause is noble....We all pray for its fulfillment.
Thank you very much
Eminencies,
Excellencies,
Dear Friends,
