The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, presided over a meeting on Jan-uary 13 with the Apostolic Nun-cios in the Middle Eastern region in Jordan’s capital of Amman, where he travelled for the conse-cration of the Church of the Baptism of Jesus along the banks of the Jordan River.
According to a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office, the meeting was attended by the papal representatives accredited to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Iraq, the State of Israel, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Lebanon, the Sulta-nate of Oman, the State of Pale-stine, the State of Qatar, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the Republic of Yemen.
In an interview with Vatican News in Jordan following the Church’s consecration, the Vati-can Secretary of State expressed his hopes for positive develop-ments in Syria and with the ele-ction of the new president of Lebanon.
During the meeting, the statement explained, “the ongoing crises in the region, the political and ecclesial situation in each country, signs of hope in some areas, and the severe humani-tarian conditions affecting popu-lations most impacted by conflicts were discussed.”
The statement continued, “It is hoped that the ceasefire on every front will come soon and that the Middle East can become a land of peace, where Christians remain an essential component for fraternal coexistence among religions and for the progress of their respective countries.”