Within the framework of Program “Hiwar” (Dialogue), journalist Gaby Lteif of Radio Monte Carlo International has interviewed Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader to talk about his visit to the French capital and his participation in the international meeting held in France to support the Christian pilgrimage for Jordan in 2024, which took place at the invitation of the rector of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and the supervision of Jordan Tourism Board, during which Jordan was named as a guest of honor for this comprehensive annual meeting.
In the interview, Fr. Bade spoke about his visit to France with delegations of pilgrimage directors on the sidelines of the meetings held in the French city of Lourdes, where he pointed out Jordan’s important role as part of the Holy Land and as a land that witnessed the events as mentioned in the Holy Bible whether in the Old Testament or New Testament. He also spoke about the importance of the history of this region, which he termed as arenas of events written in the Holy Bible and is a source of pride in its capacity as part of the history of the region between Palestine, Jordan, and southern Lebanon. For his part, he stressed that the current political borders cannot transcend the common history of the Middle East, which he said is the de facto birthplace of religions according to reality and history rather than just imaginary views.
Reflecting on the political events, Fr. Bader said that the war will end one day and he hoped it will be soon, while and called for optimism in this regard. He also referred to the pain he is going through as a result of the events taking place in Gaza, and praised the role being played by the Church in Gaza with regards to protecting those who took refuge there. He also stressed the importance of the call made by the directors of pilgrimage to encourage people to come to Jordan in solidarity with the suffering of the people of Gaza, for such a position is not merely a visit to holy places but rather an act of solidarity with the peoples of the Middle East.
Fr. Bader continued that tourists who visit Jordan or Palestine come to visit a region that is a source of all religions, and that the convergence of religions is a call for people to respect others. During the interview, he referred to Jerusalem as a city for the three religions and the capital of religions. He also spoke about the role played by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which serves a nexus between the Christian and Islamic religions, and said that it is a church for all, just like the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which he referred to saying that Christians of the world reject any attack on it. He concluded the interview by talking about the Amman Message, and about tolerance among religions in a message that reflects the reality as well as the Jordanian society in which Muslims and Christians live side by side, thus giving Jordan the right to disseminate these messages to the world.
By Munir Bayouk | en.abouna.org
