Recently, two prominent Catholic leaders have focused their attention on the country of Jordan — the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi.

On the eve of Jordan’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sept. 10, Cardinal Pizzaballa sent a written message addressed to the Christians of the Hashemite Kingdom. (The Hashemites of Jordan are direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.)

“As the constitutional prerogative of holding parliamentary elections approaches,” he said, “Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, seeks to modernize its political life and strengthen its party system, despite various challenges.”

He continued: “This vision requires concerted efforts and the full participation of all people. This journey will reinforce the achievements and build a better future.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized the importance of Jordanian Christians participating in public life, particularly through the upcoming elections.

“This is of great importance as Jordan courageously moves toward modernization and reform,” Cardinal Pizzaballa noted.

Cardinal Pizzaballa’s Appeal to Christian Civic Duty

The Latin patriarch stressed that “good citizens do not claim their rights while neglecting duties. The honorable history of Jordanian Christians in building their society compels them to continue their active contribution and genuine participation in strengthening the role of constitutional institutions and enriching harmonious pluralism in society.”

Quoting Scripture, Cardinal Pizzaballa continued: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world’ (Mt 5:13-14), which means that being a disciple of Christ is to serve others. Salt, on its own, is not tasty, nor does light illuminate for itself. Our mission is to be where God [wants] us to be a light and salt for the common good, full of hope and positivity to make changes for the good of humanity.”

Absi’s Official Visit to Jordan

Prior to Cardinal Pizzaballa’s message, Patriarch Youssef Absi arrived in Jordan for an official visit.

Accompanied by members of the Permanent Synod, Absi visited the Patriarchate of Petra and Philadelphia and other Melkite Greek Catholic communities in Jordan.

He began his visit with a prayer service alongside priests and nuns serving the diocese and then traveled to the site of Jesus’ baptism to bless land allocated for a Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

During his visit, Absi met with educational and administrative staff from Melkite Greek Catholic schools in the kingdom. In his address, he emphasized “the pillars upon which the mission of our Church’s schools is based in all countries. We educate people on evangelical and national values, open doors to everyone from different religions, and ensure education for all despite any substantial or moral challenges.”

Absi also listened to attendees’ aspirations for advancing the mission of Jordanian diocesan schools.

In a significant administrative move, Absi also appointed Archimandrite Paul Nazha as patriarchal administrator of the Patriarchate of Petra and Philadelphia and the rest of the Melkite Greek Catholics in Jordan. This appointment followed Metropolitan Elias Dabhi’s resignation from the administration of the diocese. Nazha previously served as head of the Shuwayri Basilian Order.