Jordan's Crown Prince visits baptism site ahead of 2,000 years since Jesus' Baptism
Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II visited the Baptism Site (Bethany Beyond the Jordan) on September 13, 2026, underscoring its importance as the location of Jesus’ baptism. He called for careful planning of the 2030 millennium celebrations, aiming to honor the site’s history and strengthen Jordan’s standing as a top Christian pilgrimage destination. The visit was attended by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Princess Miriam Ghazi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin, and Baptism Site Commission Director General Abdullah Bawareed, who reviewed services for pilgrims and promotion strategies. The article notes the site’s UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2015 and its visitation by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.
8 days ago
Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II visited Jordan’s Baptism Site on September 13, ahead of planned 2030 commemorations marking 2,000 years since the traditional date of Jesus’ baptism. He called for careful preparations, improved visitor services, and stronger international promotion of the site.
The Crown Prince visited Bethany Beyond the Jordan, known today as Al-Maghtas, which Jordan identifies as the location of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.
During the visit, he received a briefing on services available to pilgrims and other visitors. He was accompanied by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Princess Miriam Ghazi, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Imad Hijazin, Crown Prince’s Office Director Zaid Baqain, and Baptism Site Commission Director General Abdullah Bawareed.
The Royal Hashemite Court said the Crown Prince directed officials to plan carefully for the 2030 celebrations so that they reflect the site’s historical significance and reinforce Jordan’s position as a major destination for Christian pilgrimage.
He also emphasized the need to promote Al-Maghtas more widely in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board, and other relevant partners.
Archaeological excavations at Al-Maghtas have uncovered churches, chapels, hermits’ caves, and a baptistery associated with Christian worship connected to the baptism of Jesus. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.
Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have visited the Baptism Site on pilgrimage.
Examine how the Catholic Church’s heritage policy shapes Jordan’s baptism pilgrimage
Jordan’s baptism pilgrimage is shaped by a Catholic heritage policy that treats sacred places not merely as archaeological sites or tourist attractions, but as living witnesses to salvation history. The policy therefore combines preservation, pastoral interpretation, public worship, religious freedom, and interreligious cooperation.
The Church understands Bethany beyond the Jordan—Al-Maghtas and the surrounding Wadi al-Kharrar area—as a place connected with John the Baptist’s preaching and Jesus’ baptism. Pope Benedict XVI described Jordan’s Mount Nebo and Bethany as two of the country’s most important holy places, while presenting his visit as a pilgrimage “to the sources of our faith.”
This approach gives the landscape a theological meaning. The Jordan is not valued only for its physical remains; it recalls the revelation of the Trinity: the Son enters the waters, the Spirit descends, and the Father’s voice is heard. John Paul II’s prayer at the Jordan explicitly connects Christ’s baptism with the Church’s own passage from sin to new life.
Consequently, heritage policy helps pilgrims move from historical remembrance to spiritual participation. The site becomes a “tangible link” with biblical events, enabling pilgrims to remember Christ and renew their Christian identity.
Catholic policy does not regard conservation as sufficient by itself. The Pontifical Council for Culture recommends safeguarding religious heritage while also making it intelligible through catechesis, devotional itineraries, welcoming churches, trained Catholic guides, museums, libraries, and pastoral programmes for heavily visited sites.
Applied to the baptism pilgrimage, this means that visitors should not merely see the river, ruins, or churches. They should be helped to understand:
The Jordan’s importance is therefore extended beyond the location itself. John Paul II explained that, in Christian tradition, every baptismal font can be understood symbolically as a “miniature Jordan,” so the pilgrimage points back to the sacramental life of local churches.
The Church’s heritage policy also encourages visible Christian presence. During Benedict XVI’s 2009 visit, he blessed the foundation stones of churches at the traditional site of Christ’s baptism. He interpreted Jordan’s permission for such public places of worship as evidence of respect for religion and religious freedom.
This changes the pilgrimage from a visit to a historical site into an organized ecclesial experience. Churches, liturgical spaces, guides, and pastoral services allow pilgrims to pray, celebrate, receive instruction, and encounter the local Catholic community. Benedict described the Church in the Holy Land as a “living presence” in the place where Christianity was born.
The policy therefore protects two dimensions of heritage:
The pilgrimage is also shaped by Jordan’s political and religious environment. Catholic leaders have repeatedly praised Jordan’s hospitality, openness, and protection of religious freedom. John Paul II presented religious freedom as a fundamental human right and linked it with the ability of Christians and others to contribute to society.
Benedict XVI likewise connected the construction of churches at Bethany with Jordan’s respect for Christian tradition, while emphasizing peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims.
Thus, heritage policy is not politically neutral in its effects. Preserving and presenting the baptism site publicly affirms the historical presence of Christianity in Jordan, while the Church’s diplomatic language seeks to ensure that this affirmation does not become exclusionary. The pilgrimage is presented as compatible with Muslim-Christian coexistence and with the wider pursuit of peace.
The Catholic approach also implies a critique of purely commercial religious tourism. Heritage must be “made the most of” and passed to future generations, but it must remain connected to the message carried by the site. The danger is that the baptism site could become primarily a scenic destination, an archaeological attraction, or a place for religious souvenirs.
Catholic heritage policy responds by insisting on interpretation and pastoral care. A successful pilgrimage should lead visitors toward repentance, prayer, deeper appreciation of Scripture, and renewed participation in Christian life—not simply toward the consumption of sacred history.
The Catholic Church’s heritage policy shapes Jordan’s baptism pilgrimage in four principal ways: it preserves the site, interprets it through Scripture and theology, provides spaces for worship and catechesis, and frames the pilgrimage within religious freedom and Christian-Muslim dialogue. The result is a model of heritage in which archaeology serves memory, memory serves faith, and faith is expressed through a living pilgrimage to Christ’s baptism.