Patriarch Twal 's message to people of Jordan

(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.