Pope meets Jordan’s king amid rising tensions in Jerusalem

Pope Francis met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Vatican, two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital provoked outrage in the Middle East. According to the Vatican, “the cordial conversations focused above all on the theme of the promotion of peace and stability in the Mideast, with particular reference to the question of Jerusalem and the role of the Hashemite Sovereign (the king of Jordan) as custodian of the holy places.”The pope welcomed the king, who was accompanied by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, in the library of the Apostolic Palace Dec. 19.Abdullah greeted the pope as “My dear friend and brother.”With the help of an interpreter, Francis spent 20 minutes speaking alone with Abdullah and Prince Ghazi, an adviser to the king on religious and cultural affairs. After their meeting, the king and his delegation met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican foreign minister.The pope and Abdullah, the Vatican statement said, renewed their commitment to “encourage negotiations as well as promoting interreligious dialogue.”President Trump announced his decision Dec. 6 to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, fulfilling a promise he made during his presidential campaign.The announcement sparked anti-U.S. protests throughout Asia and the Middle East and drew warnings from Middle Eastern and European leaders that overturning the United States’ long-standing policy would further complicate peace negotiations.

 

Source: Pope meets Jordan’s king amid rising tensions in Jerusalem | National Catholic Reporter