The Vatican Secretary of State, representing Pope Francis on a visit to the Holy Land on Friday, called for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was in Jordan to inaugurate a new church that has been built at the site of the Baptism of Jesus.
The Pope's secretary of state celebrated Mass at the Church of the Baptism of the Lord at Al-Maghtas January 10, joined by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The church, which can accommodate 1,000 worshipers, is built on land donated by King Abdullah II of Jordan. Its construction took 15 years.
“I would turn my gaze beyond the Jordan and call for a ceasefire, the release of prisoners and hostages, and respect for humanitarian law,” Cardinal Parolin said during a homily, according to Vatican News.
“May the hearts of the leaders of nations,” Cardinal Parolin urged, “be moved to seek peace and harmonious coexistence between peoples,” stressing that violence must not be what determines our future.
The cardinal said that the troubled region’s future would be brighter with the presence of Christians.
“At a time in history when this region is experiencing serious upheaval, it is important that Christians also make their contribution to the building of a just and peaceful society,” he said.
In his recent address to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis said: “I renew my appeal for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, where there is a very serious and shameful humanitarian situation, and I ask that the Palestinian population receive all the aid it needs. My prayerful hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the smallest, so that future generations can live side by side in the two States, in peace and security, and that Jerusalem can be the ‘city of encounter,’ where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect.”
Place of pilgrimage
Parolin spoke of the site of the new church as a place of divine-human encounter, recalling Christ’s baptism.
"We are called to give thanks to God, not only for the gift of this church dedicated to Him, but also for the fact that God became human and lived among us, specifically in this Holy Land,” said the cardinal, according to a report on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
“From here, the faithful journey to Jerusalem, the site of Christ's baptism by John the Baptist, where God meets man, even when man is distant. Through baptism, we become children of God, and our crossing of the Jordan River symbolizes our passage to eternal life. Today, we consecrate this church, which will officially become a place of worship. In doing so, we offer God our hearts and our lives, so that He may work through us to spread His peace."
During the ceremony, the two cardinals placed relics of Pope St. John Paul II and the Damascus Martyrs in the altar. John Paul came here in 2000, as part of a pilgrimage for the Jubilee year of the Second Millennium of Christianity.
Popes Benedict XVI and Francis also visited this site, which archaeologists have more definitively identified as the actual site where St. John baptized Christ.
Cardinal Pizzaballa described the new church as a sacred space for prayer, reflection, faith, and peace, inviting all to make a pilgrimage to this holy site.
"This church," he said, "is a gift from the local Church to friends worldwide, offering blessings from the River Jordan."
