LONDON: Pope Leo XIV expressed satisfaction with Jordan’s preparations for the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River, according to a Jordanian priest on Wednesday.
Fr Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan, described the meeting with the pope in Rome last week to the Jordan News Agency as taking place in a “friendly and spiritual atmosphere.”
The Jordanian priest returned this week from a two-day religious dialogue platformed at the Vatican. The Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World, affiliated with the International Dialogue Center, held its meetings early this month. The Jordanian delegation included Sheikh Omar Rousan of the department of fatwas.
The 2,000th anniversary of the revered event is scheduled for 2030 and will take place at Christ’s baptismal site, also known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts Christian pilgrims and other visitors.
Jordan is home to many important Christian sites, including Mount Nebo in the Madaba governorate, where the Bible says Moses saw the Promised Land before he died.