Fadi Hanna

On Friday, January 10, 2025, the Catholic Church celebrated a historic milestone with the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of Christ on the banks of the Jordan River at Al-Maghtas. The pontifical mass was led by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, representing His Holiness Pope Francis. Among the distinguished attendees were His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, bishops, priests, and church leaders, including former Patriarch Fouad Twal, Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan, Msgr. William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar General, and Bishop-elect Iyad Twal, Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan. The event was also graced by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Chief Advisor to His Majesty the King for Religious and Cultural Affairs.

On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Latin Church in Jordan welcomed Monsignor Iyad Twal, who was appointed by His Holiness Pope Francis on December 17 as an auxiliary bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Latin patriarchal vicar for Jordan

The Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced this week the opening of a historical exhibit in Vatican City titled “Jordan: Dawn of Christianity.” This pioneering event aims to explore the origins of Christianity in Jordan.

The recent election of internationally-backed army chief Joseph Aoun as the new President of Lebanon, along with the recent change of regime in neighbouring Syria is a major breakthrough, and could lead to further positive developments for Lebanon.

Two days after 7 January, Christmas Day for the Oriental Churches (with the exception of the Armenians who celebrate it on 19 December), the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land visited the various Orthodox communities to exchange Christmas greetings.

The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated on Sunday 12 January on the banks of the River Jordan, marked the end of the Christmas period and the start of ordinary time. With the end of the Christmas festivities and the celebrations of the Epiphany in Bethlehem in the past few days, the Franciscan community once again gathered at Qasr al-Yahud , the place traditionally identified as the site of Jesus's Baptism.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of Pontifical Mission, founded as Pontifical Mission for Palestine, by Pope Pius XII in 1949 to care for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were expelled from their native villages in the 1948 Arab Israeli War.

On the third day of his visit to the Kingdom, namely Sunday January 12, Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan Bishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, visited several religious sites in Jordan.

The United Nations has warned that its work delivering aid to people in Gaza is at breaking point following what it said was a ‘deliberate and dangerous pattern' of sabotage and disruption by both Israeli troops and Palestinian gangs.

On December 29, 2024, Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City became the target of another artillery strike, a painful reminder that the war in Gaza is ongoing and a devastating blow to a hospital already operating on the edge of survival. The southwestern corner of the hospital's new Diagnostic Center was struck, causing severe damage to the orthopedic clinic on the fourth floor. The blast shattered windows and doors, tore apart the ceiling, and ruined essential equipment—solar panels, the ventilation system, and all the furniture within the room. This is the second attack in just a few months; on October 14, 2024, the hospital lost an X-ray machine and two ultrasound machines in a similar strike.