Jordan Times
Thursday, December 1, 2005
Patriarch Gregorios III
calls for peace and religious unity
By Rula Samain
AMMAN — His Beatitude Gregorios III, Patriarch of
Antioch, of all Egypt and the entire East, headed the Roman Catholic Cathedral
Mass here Tuesday evening, condemning the Nov. 9 suicide attacks as “criminal
and inhuman acts.”
The patriarch, who is in the Kingdom to take part in the Eastern Catholic
Patriarch annual meeting scheduled for Friday, started his sermon by praising
the Kingdom as a country where Christians and Muslims have always enjoyed
peaceful coexistence.
“We take pride in this religious country that we all worship one God, “ he said,
while warning against those who seek to sow sedition and hatred.
He said the bombings in three Amman hotels were “criminal and inhuman” and
against “all cultural and religious values,” while voicing his solidarity with
the Kingdom.
The attacks left 60 people dead and around a hundred injured.
During his sermon, the patriarch paid tribute to the “Amman Message,” describing
it as a message of tolerance and humanity and a herald of a new future for a
developed and prosperous Jordan. “It [Amman Message] is an exemplary one for the
entire Arab world,” he said.
The Amman Message, issued in November 2004 and translated into several world
languages, spells out Jordan's understanding of Islam as a religion that rejects
violence and promotes dialogue and constructive interaction with other cultures.
The patriarch said followers of Islam and Christianity should demonstrate the
values of their religions, promote religious understanding, tolerance and
freedom.
“Our belief in Christ the Lord calls for the unity of not only Christians but
also Muslims to face the new challenges,” he said.
“We should oppose this conspiracy by standing together,” he added.
The patriarch also urged for a final solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and for peace in Iraq.
Gregorios III, who is the head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, finished
his sermon by praying to God to bestow peace on His people and the world.
The Eastern Catholic patriarchs, Chief of the Royal Court Salem Turk, Muslim
scholars, and other officials attended the mass.