Pope Francis discusses Middle East crisis with the King of Jordan
August 29, 2013: On the morning of Thursday, Pope Francis received their Majesties
the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, and Queen Rania. Later, the Hashemite sovereign met
with His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, who was accompanied
by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
Several
themes of common interest were addressed during the course of the cordial encounter,
most importantly the promotion of peace and stability in the Middle East, with a particular
focus on the restarting of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, and on
the question of Jerusalem. Special attention was reserved for the tragic situation
in which Syria finds itself. In this regard, it was reaffirmed that the path of dialogue
and negotiation between all components of Syrian society, with the support of the
international community, is the only option to put an end to the conflict and to the
violence that every day causes the loss of so many human lives, especially amongst
the helpless civilian population.
Appreciation was also expressed for King
Abdullah’s commitment in the field of interreligious dialogue and for the initiative
of convening a conference in Amman, at the beginning of the month of September, on
the challenges that Christians in the Middle East will have to face, in particular
during this period of socio-political transformations. Finally, recognition was expressed
for the positive contribution that Christian communities bring to the local society,
of which they are an integral part.