Pope in Jordan, calls for peace process to continue

He blessed a bowl of Jordanian soil before being greeted by King Abdullah II and members of the Jordanian royal family.

Earlier, white doves symbolizing peace had been set free.

Welcoming the pope, King Abdullah described the papal visit as bringing “the hope of a brighter future to those who have known nothing but the misery of the past” – a reference to the Pope’s visit to the Palestinian areas and to Israel.

“Your presence is a call for believers in peace not to lose hope,” the king said.

“Your message is benevolent and your cause is noble. We all pray for its fulfillment,” he concluded.

“In this area of the world there are grave and urgent issues of justice, of the rights of peoples and nations, which have to be resolved for the good of all concerned and as a condition for lasting peace,” the Pope said in his reply.

“No matter how difficult, no matter how long, the process of seeking peace must continue. Without peace there can be no authentic development for this region, no better life for its peoples, no brighter future for its children.

“Muslims and Christians should consider themselves as one people and one family,” the Pontiff said.

The Pope was greeted at Amman airport by King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and other members of the royal family.

The Pontiff watched a march-past by troops of the Royal Jordanian Army, and then, with the aid of a cane held in his right hand, he made his way slowly down a red carpet to a reception hall, where he greeted leaders of the Roman, Greek and Orthodox churches and Jordanian officials.

From the airport the Pope was to travel in his bullet-proof `pope mobile’ to Mount Nebo, from where Moses is said to have seen the promised land 3,000 years ago.

He will visit a sixth century church built on the ruins of an earlier monastery that marked the site believed to be where Moses spent his last days.

The Pope was then scheduled to return to the royal palace in Amman, where he would spend the night, for a meeting with King Abdullah.

Tomorrow the Pope will go to the site known as Martas, about 1.5 kilometres from the Jordan river, where, according to some traditions, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

He will conclude his visit to Jordan in the late afternoon, and fly to Ben Gurion airport in Israel, beginning his visit to Israel and the Palestinian autonomous areas.

The Pope’s trip, the first by a reigning Pontiff to the Holy Land in 36 years, is seen as a culmination of John Paul II’s papacy.