Thousands of Pilgrims CelebrateThe Catholic churches in the Kingdom marked this Friday morning the 26th pilgrimage day to the site of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas), with a celebratory Mass presided over by Bishop Iyad Al-Tawal, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar, at the Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of thousands of pilgrims from various regions of the Kingdom.Participating in the Mass were the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giovanni Dal Toso, the Patriarchal Administrator for the Greek Catholics Archimandrite Boulos Nazha, the heads of the Maronite, Chaldean, Syriac, and Armenian Catholic churches in the Kingdom, a delegation from the Catholic Bishops' Conference in the Philippines, a media delegation from the Vatican, as well as deputies and official figures, ambassadors, and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom, in addition to a number of notables, deputies, priests, monks, nuns, and a large gathering of the faithful.Press ConferencePrior to the Mass, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media held a press conference, during which its Director General, Father Rifaat Badr, welcomed local media outlets and foreign agencies, as well as delegations of bishops and journalists coming from the Philippines, Italy, and the Vatican. Father Badr emphasized the importance of this annual gathering in highlighting the spiritual and national occasion represented by the Catholic Pilgrimage Day, and providing the media with the opportunity to convey the event to a wide audience of believers around the world.Father Badr proudly recalled the historic visit made by His Majesty King Abdullah II last year to the Vatican, where His Majesty met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and extended an invitation from His Majesty to His Holiness the Pope to visit the Baptism Site – Al-Maghtas.Father Badr stressed the role of the participation of church leaders and international delegations in strengthening spiritual and cultural ties among believers, and supporting religious tourism in Jordan. He pointed to the significant role of Jordanian entities in organizing and coordinating the event, and appreciated the efforts of the Al-Maghtas administration and the Royal Commission for Al-Maghtas under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, alongside the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board, Jordanian Television management, the various church committees, the security services, the Armed Forces, Public Security, and Civil Defense.During the conference, Bishop Iyad Al-Tawal extended an invitation in the name of the Catholic Church in the Kingdom to pilgrims from all over the world, saying: "Come, come to the Holy Land, come to the Jordan River, visit this holy place, visit this church, and be blessed by the waters of the Jordan River."Bishop Al-Tawal noted that this year's pilgrimage comes after the inauguration of the Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ a year ago, and constitutes an opportunity to strengthen the spiritual ties of the faithful. He also pointed to the return of calm in Gaza and Palestine, which His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited a few days ago, where he sensed a real determination to start a new life, with optimism that this year will be a year in which permanent, just, and comprehensive peace prevails.At the conclusion of his speech, Bishop Al-Tawal raised prayers for the beloved Jordan, asking God to bless His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, the Great, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Great, and the unified Jordanian family, wishing them a new year filled with peace, goodness, and grace. He also praised the great efforts made by the Royal Commission for the Al-Maghtas Site, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the Great, in addition to the site administration, the Ministry of Tourism, the Jordan Tourism Board, and all entities concerned with religious tourism in Jordan.For his part, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Imad Hijazin, expressed his appreciation to the Catholic Church for the continuous organization of the Catholic Pilgrimage Day, considering that this annual event constitutes an important platform for conveying Jordan's message to the world as a major destination for religious tourism, and not merely a complementary stop. He pointed out that the Baptism Site of the Lord Jesus Christ represents one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites globally, stemming from the fact that Christianity began from this land on the banks of the Jordan River.The Minister praised the existing cooperation between the Al-Maghtas Site administration, the Royal Commission for Al-Maghtas, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, noting the work on new plans aimed at improving the visitor or pilgrim experience and developing the site in a way that contributes to enhancing its global presence, in parallel with continuous cooperation with the Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical churches. He also highlighted the diversity of Islamic religious and heritage sites in Jordan, considering that this uniqueness constitutes a universal human value, and emphasized that the blessing of stability enjoyed by Jordan under the wise Hashemite leadership has played the most prominent role in preserving these sites and presenting them to the world as a heritage serving all humanity.For his part, Mr. Andrea Tornielli, Editor-in-Chief of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, highlighted the importance of Jordan as a holy land that witnessed pivotal events from the Holy Bible, affirming the invitation to pilgrims to explore the holy sites and prepare for the celebration of the Great Jubilee in 2033, before pointing to the 2030 Jubilee special to the Baptism of Christ as an opportunity to discover the history and spirituality of Jordan.The Pilgrimage MassFollowing the press conference, Bishop Al-Tawal, accompanied by the Minister of Tourism and the heads of the Catholic churches in the Kingdom, drew holy water from the Jordan River to bless the faithful. The celebratory procession, led by scout teams and candle-bearers, proceeded to the Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, where His Excellency presided over the celebratory Mass for this year's Catholic pilgrimage.The Patriarchal Administrator for the Greek Catholics, Archimandrite Boulos Nazha, delivered a speech in which he affirmed that this holy site, where heaven met earth and the Jordan River witnessed the launch of the public mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, carries a global message based on love, peace, and hope. He called for conveying these values to various parts of the world, and raised prayers that God may touch the hearts of leaders and peoples, transforming the logic of violence into a culture of dialogue, and the logic of war into a path of justice and reconciliation.During the Mass, Bishop Al-Tawal blessed the attendees with water from the Jordan River, and delivered a sermon in which he emphasized that baptism is not merely an external ritual, but the beginning of a personal faith journey that leads the believer to a deep spiritual experience manifested in inner joy and sincere repentance. He called on the attendees to continuous commitment to spiritual values, warning against being content with superficial appearances without real engagement in them.Prayers and supplications were raised for the continuation of security and stability in Jordan under the wise Hashemite leadership, and for strengthening national unity, in addition to prayers that peace and justice may prevail in Jerusalem, Gaza, and all regions of Palestine, as well as in the countries of the region and the entire world thirsty for peace and justice.The Mass concluded with a speech delivered by the Secretary of the Latin Patriarchal Vicariate, Father Imad Alamat, in which he thanked all governmental, security, and church entities that contributed to the success of the Catholic Pilgrimage Day for the year 2026, expressing his hope that the current year will witness a wide presence of pilgrims from various parts of the world to the holy Jordan.