On
the morning of Thursday August 29th 2013 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.