On Monday, March 11th, 2024, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, presided over a Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Nazareth in Amman. Concelebrated by H.B. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Heads of the Catholic Churches in the Holy Land - who will be holding their annual meeting in Jordan - and Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan, Mgr. Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as several priests, sisters, and the faithful.
Archbishop Gallagher conveyed Pope Francis' greetings and blessings to all those present, especially the Christian refugees from Palestine, Iraq and Syria. His current visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan comes on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Jordan. He emphasized that the Holy See considers diplomatic relations as a tool to support the freedom of the Catholic Church and necessary to defend and promote human dignity, based on the values of justice, truth, freedom and love.
Addressing the audience, Archbishop Gallagher said: "You bear witness to the fact that being few in number does not mean being 'less' as Christians. Quite the contrary! If we are few in number, it means that we need to show more authentically and consistently that we are witnesses of the good news by our actions and lives." His Excellency called on all the Churches of the Middle East to remain courageous, hopeful and steadfast.
At the end, he noted that H.H. Pope Francis, who on Wednesday will be celebrating 11 years since his election as Pontiff, has a special interest in the entire Middle East and is following on what is happening in Palestine, with a heart full of prayers.
