Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Fr. Jamal Khader, who has been named auxiliary bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, has addressed a message to the faithful of the Latin Church regarding the upcoming local elections including the Amman municipal council elections in which he called for attaining genuine and effective participation in the elections so as to proceed forward in the development of the Jordanian society based on justice and love.
Monsignor Khader, who has been named by Pope Francis as Latin bishop of Jordan and auxiliary bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, indicated in the statement issued by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan that the Catholic Church’s social education calls on believers to actively participate in the public affairs through the virtue of love which takes many forms either at the individual level by helping the poor and the needy, or at the national level which then becomes the criterion for promoting the common good and prosperity, thus making good citizens advocates for achieving justice and equal opportunities, especially for the less fortunate community groups in the areas of public affairs.
Bishop Khader addressed the faithful of the Latin Church in the Kingdom calling on them to actively participate in the elections by basing that on the conscience illumined by the Holy Gospel since the importance of these elections lies in the fact that they deal directly with people’s lives. He said, “The participation is a right, a duty, and a responsibility, and this is what the Church calls for, and what His Majesty King Abdullah II emphasized in his fourth discussion paper. The Christians in society are salt and light, and their message pushes them to live the values of the Holy Bible in public life aimed at the good of society and the prosperity of the nation.”
He pointed out that “the call for unity does not forestall diversity of views and ideas,” pointing out that experiencing unity and harmony in the context of elections lies in placing the supreme interest of society above every narrow consideration which includes respect and acceptance of the others. This noble practice gives us the opportunity to compete in a positive spirit for the goodness of society without discord or negative partisanship.” In this context, he called for respecting the opinions of others , the freedom of expression, and the will of voters based on the principle of dignity of citizens who seek to take their place in decision-making for the public interest.
The Latin patriarchal vicar for Jordan, the named auxiliary bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Archbishop-designate Jamal Khader D’aibes, concluded his address by pleading with the Almighty God to bless our dear Jordan and His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, so that Jordan would remain strong and united in the face of all challenges.
By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org
