May 10, 2009. "We enter the Church through baptism. The memory of Christ’s own baptism is brought vividly before us in this place,"   the Pope said in Jordan.

"Jesus stood in line with sinners and accepted John’s baptism of penance as a prophetic sign of his own passion, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. Down through the centuries, many pilgrims have come to the Jordan to seek purification, renew their faith and draw closer to the Lord."

May the Jordan always remind you that you have been washed in the waters of baptism and have become members of the family of Jesus.

In the Middle East, marked by tragic suffering, by years of violence and unresolved tensions, Christians are called to offer their contribution, inspired by the example of Jesus, of reconciliation and peace through forgiveness and generosity."