| May Jericho be rich in the
promise of a more peaceful future for all who live here
On Wednesday morning, 22
March, the Holy Father visited al-Maghtas in the Jordan Valley,
near Jericho, a place that commemorates the Baptism of Jesus.
After praying briefly the Pope made the following remarks in
English.
Your Excellency,
Dear Friends,
I am grateful for this chance to visit a place so steeped in history. For many thousands of years, this
area around Jericho has been a human habitat. It is near here that we find the remains of the oldest
city yet discovered. But its memory becomes still richer when we turn to Holy Scripture, which
shows Jericho as a place which bears the footprint not only of man but of God himself.
In my mind I see Jesus coming to the waters of the River Jordan not far from here to be baptized by
John the Baptist (cf. Mt 3:13); I see Jesus passing on his way to the Holy City where he would die
and rise again; I see him opening the eyes of the blind man as he passes by (cf. Lk 18:35-43).
Today Jericho has become a flourishing oasis in the desert. May the city which is so rich in memory
also be rich in promise. May its progress announce the hope of the more peaceful future which the
inhabitants of this place and all the peoples of this Land have desired for so long.
God bless you all!
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