Iyad Twal: Jordan, its Church and the thirst for peace in the Holy Land
The episcopal ordination of the new vicar for Jordan of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem took place this morning at the Church of the Baptism of Jesus in al Maghtas. Speaking to AsiaNews, he said: “Being there for everyone is our vocation.” Trump's proposal to send the Palestinians to Jordan? “We won’t even consider it.” Instead, “we must help them rebuild.” His dream for the Holy Land is to see “the same rights for the two peoples.” This is not the case at present.
Amman (AsiaNews) – This morning at the Latin Church of the Baptism of al-Maghtas, Mgr Iyad Twal, 51, was welcomed by bagpipes for his episcopal ordination as the new vicar for Jordan of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From the lowest spot on the planet, on the border with a land still too tormented by suffering, the Jordanian Church, with members coming from every corner of the country, embraced its new pastor, accompanied by the Latin Patriarch, Card Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who led the ordination rite. Appointed auxiliary bishop last December, Mgr Twal spoke to AsiaNews two days ago at the headquarters of the Patriarchal Vicariate of Jordan, at 28 Princess Alia Street in Amman. Below we publish the interview he gave us on this important day for the Church of the Holy Land.
Mgr Iyad Twal, how do you see your next ministry in Jordan, given the difficult context of the region, with armed conflicts spreading?
Difficulties are everywhere. I experienced them even when I was an assistant in a parish in Rome. Whether it is in Jerusalem, Europe, America, or Russia, there is always a Church in a particular context. So, it is good to think about how to live our mission here. In Jordan, as in the Holy Land, we have a beautiful mission. I know well what is happening around us, at all levels. But I am not going immediately to discuss with our non-Catholic brothers, Muslims, or those from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, or Israel. The first question I ask myself is: How do I live, as a Christian, first, and then as a priest and bishop?
The motto you chose is "Bear witness to the Gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24). How can this be done today, in a country where Christians are a minority?
Numbers are important, but in the end, as Pope John Paul II put it, we are also ready to return to twelve, like the disciples, meaning that we do not always have to look for numbers. Our mission is in Jordan, where we have good relations with everyone: the government, the royal family, non-Catholic Christians, Muslims. We are fine there. We have our parishes, a good clergy, many very active lay people. With Caritas, for example, we carry out a mission both for ourselves and others around us, like refugees and the poor. Being there for everyone is our vocation.
Last October, Pope Francis wrote to the Christians of the Middle East encouraging them to “become sprouts of hope”.
At university I taught philosophy to Christians and non-Christians. I have never forced anyone to call me Abuna (Father), or to treat me as I would wish. In the academic environment you can always discuss, engage in dialogue, have a serene and mature relationship. Young Muslim women, more than young men, came to me to ask questions that, if asked to their father or a friend, could be dangerous. A serene relationship, of friendship, is the basis of everything, with Christians and also with Muslims, who can see a human witness through whom it can be said that Jesus Christ is the son of God. They may also tell you that they disagree, but if they see that there is respect and trust, we can easily assert that despite the difference, there is already something in common.
Jordan is home to important holy sites, not least the site of the Baptism. However, instability is now affecting pilgrimages.
For me, the holy places are very important because I grew up here and perform my service near the Basilica of the Nativity, the Holy Sepulchre. We always speak of the history of salvation, which cannot be without a geography of salvation. In the episcopal coat of arms, I have included the site of the baptism; it was where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Then, near Madaba, where I grew up, there is Mount Nebo, linked to the story of Moses. I am working with the Ministry of Tourism to invite people to visit Jordan again, not for economic reasons, but to come as pilgrims, as people who are looking for the sources of faith.
The American University of Madaba, an institution of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, hosted in recent months some students from Gaza. Is it still a central project of the vicariate?
It did not only help young people from Gaza, but Syrian and Iraqi refugees before that. Through this institution we create an environment of fraternity and friendship. Year after year it is becoming clearer that we Christians proclaim our faith, first of all, through service: We do it in our daily lives, offering society education, healthcare, university education, parishes. We are recognised in the army, the government, and politics. Let us set an example, first of all, with our lives.
The Patriarchate has never stopped sending humanitarian aid to Gaza: What is the point of the aid sent by Jordan?
It saved our Christian community in Gaza. Without this help and the support of Patriarch Pizzaballa, I do not know how we would have ended up. We must mention the support of Pope Francis, who calls every day (even from his sickbed). Every month he sent food and medicine not only to Christians in the two parishes, Catholic and Orthodox, but also to about 40,000 residents in the area. Both sides realise that the Patriarchate performs this service, and now we must help them rebuild.
Trump's proposal is to relocate the Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, to rebuild the enclave by making it the "Riviera of the Middle East"...
No, we won’t even consider it. We want to rebuild. Christians are living in our schools. We shall help them build their homes so that they can return. I think they will stay. The whole world has said that it is not possible to move them, it is not acceptable.
In Gaza, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is moving ahead in fits and starts, but in the West Bank, Israeli tanks are also moving and at least 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced in recent days. You have lived there for a long time; how do you see the situation?
Bad. There is a lack of proper leadership, there are fanatics on both sides. There is hatred and I don't see peace coming soon at the political level because there is no common vision. On the Israeli side, there is a prospect of total division. On the Palestinian side, there is a people who are seeking independence, freedom, human rights. But Fatah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority do not think the same way. In Israel they are gripped by fear, but this cannot be an excuse.
Do you think peace is really possible?
I grew up with the dream of two states, I experienced the atmosphere of the Oslo Accords of 1993, as a child and then as a seminarian. Now I don't know what kind of political dream we can give to our young people. The dream remains in me: two peoples, even a single state, but with the same rights for the two peoples. Now, however, one has more rights than the other. I am not talking about politics, philosophy, but about daily life: Some have water, others do not; some can move, others cannot. Yet, despite everything, the dream of peace remains.
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09/11/2023 16:09
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