His Majesty King Abdullah II received Christian and Islamic religious leaders from Jerusalem and Jordan at Al Husseiniya Palace on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, in the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. His Majesty congratulated Christians in Jordan, Palestine, and around the world on the occasion of the holy holidays. His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs and Personal Envoy, also attended the meeting.
His Majesty affirmed Jordan’s continued support for the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers, emphasizing the Kingdom’s continued historical role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in accordance with the Hashemite Custodianship. His Majesty also provided a grant, at his own expense, to support the establishment of the International Orthodox Baptism Site University and another grant to gild the historical decorations on the Dome of the Rock. For his part, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, All Palestine, and Jordan, emphasized the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which constitutes a safety valve for Christians’ right to free access to the holy sites, preserves the historical status quo, and protects the authentic spiritual and cultural identity of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. He warned of the growing threat of Christian Zionism, an alien movement in the Holy Land that seeks to distort the message of the Bible by justifying the illegal occupation, thus threatening the religious cultures and ancient heritage of Christianity. He emphasized that the heads of the churches stand united in confronting this threat and are working to protect society from the negative effects of this movement.
Patriarch Theophilos III thanked His Majesty the King for his financial and moral support for the International Orthodox University project at the Baptism Site, which will deepen ties between Jordan and the Church in Jerusalem and enhance the presence of churches in the Blessed Land.
