Interior minister attends Orthodox Christmas mass in Bethlehem

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Interior Minister Ghaleb Zu’bi on Saturday night participated in the midnight mass at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, as the Eastern Christians celebrated Christmas. 

The celebrations are held according to the eastern calendar of the Roman Orthodox, Assyrian, Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox churches, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.

Zu’bi, in the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, conveyed King Abdullah’s greetings to Christians on Christmas, and His Majesty’s wishes for a year full of love and peace.

Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III said that “the Church of Nativity constitutes the heart of Bethlehem and the mass prayed for peace in the region and the ‘holy land’” and stressed the church’s solidarity with all Palestinian people.   

In a meeting with Abbas, Zu’bi highlited the deep-rooted ties between the Jordanian and the Palestinian peoples, reiterating King Abdullah’s keenness, in his capacity as custodian of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, to continue safeguarding these sanctuaries.

For his part, Abbas stressed the “solid brotherly relations” between the two countries, voicing the Palestinian people’s appreciation for Jordanian stances in defending the Palestinian cause, Petra reported.