His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday called for a unified stance between churches in Jordan and the Holy Land and their Western counterparts in order to face up to the challenges facing Jerusalem.



At a meeting with a delegation representing Christian religious leaders from Europe and the US, the King warned against attempts to depopulate the Holy City of its Arab Christian residents and strip away its identity.



Over 50 Catholic bishops and other church leaders from North America and Europe are currently in the region on a solidarity mission with Christians in the Holy Land.



King Abdullah acquainted the religious leaders with Jordan's efforts to promote religious tolerance and coexistence, citing the Amman Message, which Jordan released in 2004 in an effort to spell out the true spirit of Islam.



Bishop William Skylstad, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, praised King Abdullah's peace efforts and his persistent endeavours to launch and support dialogue between the followers of the three monotheistic religions.



He also commended Jordan's Constitution which guarantees religious freedoms in the Kingdom.



Also Tuesday, the bishops visited Christian holy sites in the Kingdom.

The Jordan Times