Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby met Iraqi Christian refugees in Amman, Jordan, today. He also visited Syrian refugees at the Zaatari camp, and met with King Abdullah II.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said Christians “are the past in the Middle East, they are the present and they must be the future.”
Two dozen refugees from Iraq asked the archbishop to help them leave the Middle East after praying with him at the Anglican church of St. Paul in Amman. Welby also met Jordan’s King Abdullah II and visited the Zaatari refugee camp.
The Middle East is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world, but large numbers have fled in recent years to escape war and Islamic extremism.
At dusk, the bells at Amman’s Church of the Redeemer rang out in welcome of the archbishop for a prayer service with about a hundred Jordanian, Iraqi and other Christians.
Welby invoked the Ten Commandments in a plea for more support for refugees from the Middle East, including Christians.
The Jordan News Agency reported on Welby’s meeting with the king.
His Majesty King Abdullah II on Tuesday welcomed Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and reviewed the Kingdom’s efforts to safeguard Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, besides the latest developments in the Middle East. …
King Abdullah pledged that Jordan will pursue its role to protect the presence of Christian Arabs in the Middle East and preserve their identity, noting that the country is a role model for real Muslim-Christian brotherhood and harmony. …
Also discussed at the meeting were other current regional issues, particularly the fight against extremism and terrorism, which is not associated with any religion.
The Archbishop of Canterbury commended Jordan’s role to highlight the true image of Islam, expressing his appreciation to His Majesty for his custody and protection of holy sites and the Christian communities in Jerusalem as part of the Kingdom’s custodianship over the city’s holy shrines.
Read more on the archbishop’s meeting with Christian refugees here, and the rest of the official story of his meeting with the king here.
Photo: the Archbishop of Canterbury visits refugees at Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp. See more via @justinwelby on Twitter