Amman, Sept. 13 (Petra) -- Father Rifat Bader, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on the sidelines of meetings of the Dialogue and Cooperation Platform between Diverse Religious Institutions and Leaders in the Arab World.

The platform is affiliated with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue and is holding its meetings in Rome, Italy. Sheikh Omar Rousan of the Department of Fatwas also participated in the Jordanian delegation.

During the meeting, Bader presented Pope Leo XIV with a commemorative gift carrying special symbolism from Jordan and the Holy Land. The gift features an outer mosaic depicting the Jordan River and the site of Jesus Christ’s baptism, while its interior contains water from the Jordan River, Jordanian olive oil, a silver rosary made in Jordan, and incense crafted by Jordanian artisans.

Members of the delegation also attended the general audience with Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square, which is traditionally held every Wednesday.

Bader briefed the pope on Jordan’s preparations to mark the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River in 2030.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Bader described the meeting as taking place in a "friendly and spiritual atmosphere." He expressed his pleasure at the start of Jordan’s preparations for the anniversary, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors and pilgrims to the Kingdom.

//Petra// AJ