Pope Arrives in Jordan, Prays on Mount Nebo

By Catholic News Service
^{Special to the HERALD}

MADABA, Jordan -- Standing on the mountain where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land, Pope John Paul II prayed that peace and justice would come to the modern peoples of the troubled region.
His face lit by the afternoon sun on the heights of Jordan's Mount Nebo, the pope looked out upon a dramatic biblical landscape stretching from the Dead Sea to Galilee.
``Our gaze directed to Jerusalem, let us lift up our prayer to almighty God for all the peoples living in the lands of the promise: Jews, Muslims and Christians,'' the pope said.
``They share the same place of blessing, where the history of salvation has left an indelible trace. ... Bestow upon all who live here the gift of a true peace, justice and fraternity,'' he said.
The ruins of a sixth-century church that commemorates the place of Moses' death provided a setting for the pope's stop, about 25 miles southwest of Amman and a few miles from the hill city of Madaba, where thousands of residents cheered as his motorcade passed.
It was the first day of a weeklong visit to holy places in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The pope began his jubilee pilgrimage in prayer at the Vatican Feb. 23, since he was unable to visit Iraq, then continued his journey in Egypt, where he visited Mount Sinai and evoked the start of Moses' mission.
On Mount Nebo, the pope read the biblical account of how Moses led his people for 40 years through the desert before reaching the mountain, where he died before he could enter into the Promised Land. The pope paused before a mosaic cross that marks a possible ancient burial place of the prophet.
A choir of schoolchildren, led by Franciscan nuns and accompanied by a Yamaha electric piano, sang hymns in Arabic and Latin, then chanted ``John Paul II, God bless you!'' in English. The pope slowly maneuvered the various levels of the church, viewing mosaics excavated by Franciscans, including an early scene that depicted Christian symbols of prayer.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the pope found Moses a fascinating figure who holds relevance to Christians of every era.
``On Mount Nebo, the pope wants to see the Holy Land with the eyes of Moses. But unlike Moses, the pope intends to reach it,'' the spokesman said.
Before stepping out onto a mountainside platform to take in the panorama facing Jerusalem, the pope said he wanted to turn the focus of his pilgrimage toward Christ.
``To him I dedicate every step of this journey I am making to this land, which was his land,'' he said.
The pope traveled by car to the biblical mountain plateau shortly after arriving at Amman's Queen Alia Airport, where he appealed for regional peace and interreligious cooperation.
After kissing a bowl of earth, he was warmly welcomed by Jordan's 38-year-old King Abdullah, who called the 79-year-old pontiff ``a symbol of all that is pure and noble in this life.''
The pope, seated at a wooden table inside a temporary pavilion on the tarmac, encouraged the king's efforts to promote tolerance and reconciliation in the Middle East.
``Your majesty, I know how deeply concerned you are for peace in your own land and in the entire region and how important it is for you that all Jordanians -- Muslims and Christians -- should consider themselves as one people and one family,'' the pope said.
He alluded to a 50-year-old problem in Jordan and throughout the region: the great number of Palestinians forced to leave their homes by past wars.
``In this area of the world there are grave and urgent issues of justice, of the rights of peoples and nations, which have to be resolved for the good of all concerned and as a condition for lasting peace,'' the pope said.
``No matter how difficult, no matter how long, the process of seeking peace must continue,'' he said.
The pope had words of encouragement for his tiny flock of 71,000 Catholics in Jordan, who represent just more than 1 percent of the population. He said the church's attitude of cooperation is embodied in its 85 schools and charitable institutions, open to Muslims and Christians alike.
``The three monotheistic religions count peace, goodness and respect for the human person among their highest values. I earnestly hope that my visit will strengthen the already fruitful Catholic-Muslim dialogue'' in Jordan, he said.
The pope praised the tradition of religious freedom in predominantly Muslim Jordan, which has largely been protected by the country's Hashemite rulers. He met privately with King Abdullah later in the evening to discuss interreligious dialogue and prospects for Middle East peace.
In his airport speech, the king said the pope had already brought a light of hope by visiting the region and had served the cause of peace by reminding people of ``the virtues of faith and the absolute need for forgiveness of one's enemies.''
Three doves symbolizing peace were released in front of the pontiff after he stepped off his airplane, which was escorted into Jordanian airspace by three fighter planes. Security around the papal motorcade route was heavy, and soldiers stood sentry in the bushes around the Mount Nebo church grounds.

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