Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria met today with King Abdullah II of Jordan. Also taking part in the meeting were Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, and Archimandrite Theophilos. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the King’s Chief Adviser for Religious and Cultural Affairs, was also present.
During the meeting, the King reaffirmed that Jordan will continue to protect the Christian presence in the region and to uphold its role in safeguarding the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. He invited Patriarch Daniel to take part in the celebrations to be held in Jordan in 2030, marking two thousand years since the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. The events will take place at the Baptism Site of the Saviour, at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
The King noted that the occasion offers an opportunity to highlight the historical and religious significance of the Baptism Site, as well as other sites of religious and tourist interest in Jordan.
For his part, Patriarch Daniel stressed that Jordan holds a special place in the heart of every Orthodox Bulgarian and in the prayers of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and that the respect enjoyed by the country’s Christian heritage, and the care taken to preserve it, set an example for all.
“The inauguration this spring, by Your Majesty and our brother in the Lord, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, of the first Christian university in Jordan, the International Orthodox University at the Baptism Site of the Lord, also had a particularly positive resonance in our country, Bulgaria, and throughout the Orthodox world.
“We assure you that this initiative, like any similar one, is the fruit of the traditionally good and mutually beneficial cooperation between you and the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It further strengthens the standing of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a state of peace and mutual understanding among different peoples and religious communities, as a bridge between the Holy Land, the cradle of ancient civilisations and traditions, and modern European Christian civilisation, which sees in Jordan a good friend and a partner with shared views,” said Patriarch Daniel.
The Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church praised the Kingdom for its important role as a model of peace, coexistence, and interfaith understanding.
“We also listened with particular attention and deep respect to the words of Your Majesty, delivered just a few days ago from the high rostrum of the United Nations General Assembly. Your testimony that Jordan continues to protect Christianity, its communities, and its eternal heritage in the lands that were its historic cradle finds a living response in our hearts.
“At a time of severe trials for the peoples of the Middle East, your steadfast appeal for peace, dialogue, justice, and respect for human dignity, together with your concern for preserving the historic and legal status of the Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, bears witness to the great responsibility the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan carries in the service of peace and peaceful coexistence among peoples and religions,” Patriarch Daniel added.
At the end of the meeting, symbolic gifts were exchanged. Patriarch Daniel presented the King with a painting of a landscape of Veliko Tarnovo, as well as Bulgarian rose oil.
Photo: petra.gov.jo
