His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received Anba Antonious, the Coptic Orthodox metropolitan archbishop of Jerusalem, the Near East and Jordan at Al Husseiniya Palace on the occasion of his recent appointment. 

During the meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs, King Abdullah congratulated Antonious on his appointment and wished him good luck in his work of entrenching the principles of dialogue and communication among followers of different religions. 

His Majesty and the archbishop discussed encouraging Copts from Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and the Near East to visit Jerusalem and Christian pilgrimage sites in Jordan, especially the Baptism Site, Beyond the Bethany, where Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist, according to Christian beliefs. 

Antonious voiced his appreciation of His Majesty’s role in safeguarding holy sites in Jerusalem, protecting the city’s Arab identity and supporting the resilience of Jerusalemites. 

He also praised Jordan as a role model in coexistence, tolerance and stability. 

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan also attended the meeting.