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WASHINGTON (January, 20, 2006)—In remarks to His Majesty King Abdullah
II of Jordan on behalf of the Co-Ordination of Episcopal Conferences in
Support of the Church of the Holy Land, the President of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop William Skylstad,
strongly supported “a vision of peace with justice in the region and
throughout the world” and for the view that “mutual respect between
Islam and Christianity is a path to peace.”
“We hope that our pilgrimage to Jordan will invigorate us on the long
road to peace in the Middle East,” Bishop Skylstad said. “It is a road
that we will walk together with you and the people of Jordan and the
Holy Land.”
“Our faith teaches us that we are children of one God, each created in
God’s image. We know that as one family the fate of all peoples is
linked together and so it is here in this land of the prophets.”
The Co-ordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church in
the Holy Land represents the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences,
the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, and
Catholic Bishops’ Conferences from Austria, Canada, England and Wales,
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United
States. The purpose of the Co-ordination is to stand in solidarity with
the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.
On January 19, members of the Co-ordination issued a communiqué after a
meeting with their hosts, the Catholic Bishops of the Holy Land.
In previous years, the group met with political leaders of Israel and
the Palestinian Authority. This was their first meeting with King
Abdullah II of Jordan.
The full text of Bishop Skylstad’s remarks to His Majesty King Abdullah
II follow:
Remarks by Bishop William Skylstad, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of
the Holy Land co-ordination, to his Majesty King Abdullah II.
Amman
17 January, 2006
Your majesty, it is a great honour to be welcomed here in the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan. Thank you for receiving us and for your gracious
hospitality (and your eloquent words of greeting).
We are here as members of the Holy Land co-ordination representing
Catholic Bishops conferences of Austria, Canada, England and Wales,
Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of
America.
Our Holy Land co-ordination exists to stand in solidarity with the
Catholic Church in the Holy Land.
The co-ordination is an expression of the Universal Church’s support of
the local churches of the Holy Land. This commitment also leads us to
pursue peace with justice for all peoples of the region.
Our faith teaches us that we are children of one God, each created in
God’s image. We know that as one family the fate of all peoples is
linked together and so it is here in this land of the prophets.
We are honoured to follow in the footsteps of John Paul II, who began
his Jubilee pilgrimage here in Amman on the baptismal site. As he said
we are all “brothers in Abraham”.
We are mindful that Jordan’s constitution protects freedom of religion
as a core value of Arabs and Islam. The Christian community in Jordan is
an ancient one reaching back 2,000 years. It is a great tribute to the
people of Jordan and to your leadership, your majesty, that Christians
and Muslims live here in peace.
In September of last year you and Queen Rania met with Pope Benedict
XV1. Like you, our Holy Father is deeply committed to the cause of
peace; a commitment he made clear in choosing the name Benedict. At your
meeting with Pope Benedict, you discussed how open dialogue and mutual
respect between Islam and Christianity is a path to peace. Our
co-ordination is walking that same path.
Support for peace and the dignity of the human person are moral
obligations for all of us. We are grateful for your courageous
leadership in promoting a vision of peace with justice in the region and
throughout the world, as expressed in the well-known Amman message.
We hope that our pilgrimage to the Jordan will invigorate us on the long
road to peace in the middle east. It is a road that we will talk
together with you and the people of Jordan and the Holy Land.
We pray that God’s blessing comes upon you and her majesty and the
people of Jordan.
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