Dr Williams meets Jordan's King
Episcopal News Service
| 23 Feb 2010
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The Archbishop of Canterbury chats with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani were received by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan at the culmination of the archbishop's two-day visit to the Kingdom on Feb. 19-21.
"During their 30-minute audience, discussion ranged across a number of regional issues from peace-building to interfaith dialogue and shared profound concerns about the increasing fragility of Christian communities across the region, and the Holy Land in particular," a Lambeth Palace press release said.
According to a news report, King Abdullah issued a statement underscoring "the importance of the efforts that can be exerted by Western churches to back peace efforts in the region and contribute to the protection of holy places in Jerusalem."
The king also urged the Christian world "to intensify efforts to force Israel to stop its unilateral measures that threaten the Christian and Islamic holy places and seek emptying the holy city of its Arab inhabitants, both Muslims and Christians."
Earlier on Feb. 21, Dr Williams and Bishop Dawani celebrated the Sunday Eucharist service in the parish Church of The Redeemer in Amman. Bishop Dawani preached to a packed congregation on the first Sunday in Lent.
"The archbishop's visit was a visible and welcome sign of hope in a region in which so many were suffering; a sign of our continuing hope as Christians, that there will be peace and reconciliation in this Land of the Holy One," said Bishop Dawani.
On Saturday, Feb. 20, Dr Williams visited the Jofeh Community Rehabilitation Centre which is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and situated in the Jordan Valley.
"The centre is a center of excellence in the Kingdom providing a range of services to children with a variety of disabilities," the Lambeth Palace release said. "The vast majority come from Muslim families. Many are either deaf, visually impaired, or blind and some suffer from multiple disabilities. Training and skills development in a range of crafts and specialized skills is provided to a very high standard and the children's work is sold commercially."
Dr Williams joined more than 750 Anglican parishioners, mainly from Amman, to bless the foundation stone of the Great Church of St. John the Baptist to be built at the Baptismal Site -- the site of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan -- on land donated to the diocese by His Majesty King Abdullah. The archbishop then celebrated a Eucharist and preached on the banks of the Jordan to the assembled congregation.
"Finally, a visit to the celebrated Ahliyyah School for girls which is run by the diocese underlined the pastoral priority placed by Dawani on education, particularly the education and empowerment of young women -- both Christians and Muslims," the release said. At a reception, attended by many alumni, the success of pupils past and present was celebrated in the presence of members of the government and Royal Family and the Mayor of Amman.
Dr Williams' four-day visit to the Holy Land concluded Feb. 23. Accompanying him on the visit was Church of Ireland Bishop Michael Jackson of Clogher, the Anglican chair to the Anglican Jewish Commission.
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