AMMAN (CNS): Jordan’s King Abdullah II invited Catholic and other leaders to celebrate Christmas in the spirit of fraternity and harmony the holiday symbolises.
 
When the moderate Muslim leader ascended the throne in 1999, he declared Christmas a holiday to be celebrated by Jordanian Christians and Muslims alike.
 

AMMAN (SE): Jordan is currently hosting over two million refugees, putting the Hashemite Kingdom in first place among hosts of refugees and displaced persons.

Fides reported on October 5 that it is followed by Turkey (2.5 million), Pakistan (1.6 million) and Lebanon (1.5 million).

Amnesty International says that half of the entire global mass of refugees worldwide is hosted by only 10 of the 193 countries that make up the entire list of nations.

VATICAN CITY (CNS): The Vatican is funding a job-creation programme for Iraqi refugees in Jordan, which is hosting close to 1.5 million refugees of whom but is struggling to provide work for them. Around 130,000 come from Iraq and 1.3 million from Syria.

With $1.16 million (US$150,000) donated by visitors to its pavilion at the World’s Fair in Milan in 2015, the Vatican will provide the funding that Caritas Jordan needs to launch the project.