(Wadi al-Kharrar) Thousands of Catholics attended a special mass on the banks of the Jordan River on Friday, as part of an annual pilgrimage to the site where Jesus Christ was baptized, according to historians.
“It’s the first day [de pèlerinage] after the end of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Father Rifat Bader, spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Jordan.
The annual event has been limited in 2021 to members of the clergy, under strict restrictions aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. Last year, a thousand people were allowed to participate, Bader said at a press conference.
This year, more than 5,000 people attended mass at the Church of the Baptism of Christ, about 50 km west of the capital Amman, an AFP photographer noted.
PHOTO KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
The Church of the Baptism of Christ
Before the ceremony began, dozens of priests filled jugs by the river, while boy scouts played music. The priests then dipped their fingers in the water they drew from the Jordan River for the blessing, thus imitating the baptism of Jesus.
The Mass was led by Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. “Today, we welcome to this holy place more than 5,000 pilgrims from our cities, towns and Catholic churches,” Mr. Bader said.
PHOTO KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa uses a branch to sprinkle holy water on worshipers.
The site of Wadi al-Kharrar is where, according to Bible historians, Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, and began his public ministry.
A ceremony held at Wadi al-Kharrar in 2000 by Pope John Paul II was seen by Jordanians as confirmation that it was the original baptism site.
Christians make up 6% of the predominantly Muslim population of Jordan, a country of some 10 million people.