(Jan. 16, 2013) Latin-rite Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem, has sent a message
to the people of Jordan on the occasion of the upcoming parliamentary elections which
will be held on January 23. According to a Fides News Agency report, the Patriarch
thanked King Abdullah II for ensuring that the citizens of Jordan are able to exercise
their right to vote. The Patriarch defined the parliamentary elections as a valuable
opportunity offered to Jordanian citizens to exercise their rights and duties as part
of their beloved homeland." On addressing the Christians, Patriarch Twal recalled
that Christ himself invited his disciples to be "in the world" as salt, light and
leaven. "There is no contradiction between the worship of God and belonging to one's
own country," he wrote. The Patriarch expressed hope that the elections will bring
to the Parliament "righteous people before God and to his own conscience so that the
Parliamentary Assembly can take responsibility even in the season of instability lived
in the Middle East." Concluding his appeal, Patriarch Twal cited the First Letter
of St. Paul to Timothy, making an invitation to pray "for kings and all those who
are in high positions, so that we may lead a tranquil life, with all godliness and
dignity." The Patriarch of Jerusalem invoked God's blessing upong "the beloved kingdom"
of Jordan, and called on Jordanian citizens to take part in the upcoming elections.