King, leading patriarch discuss Jerusalem

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday discussed Jordan’s efforts to protect Jerusalem’s holy sites with Theophilos III, patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Jordan, a Royal Court statement said.  

HRH Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs, attended the meeting. 

Theophilos III stressed that Muslim and Christian Jerusalemites appreciate King Abdullah’s recent Royal gesture to cover, at his own expense, the costs of the restoration of Jesus’ Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. 

He said that His Majesty’s efforts to protect the Christian presence in the holy city “have paid off to a large extent, resulting in keeping them on their land and reviving the hopes of Christians in the Levant for a better future”.   

This week, the Middle East Council of Churches issued a statement commending His Majesty's benefaction. 

Leaders of the Anglican Church in Jordan also commended the move, saying it reflects the Hashemites’ commitment to safeguarding holy sites in Jerusalem and voicing hope that it would enhance solidarity among various peoples and faiths in the region and the world.

In a statement released last week, Father Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media, said that “the generous provision for the restoration of the Holy Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre highlights the Hashemites’ status as custodians of holy places in Palestine in deeds rather than words”.