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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Pope Francis is expected to arrive to Jordan on Saturday May 24th. He will perform mass at Amman's International Stadium and visit the Baptism site. The Pope will meet disabled people and refugees from Iraq and Syria. His Holiness is also scheduled to hold talks with King Abdulah on current events, Jordan-Vatican relations and Christian-Muslim coexistence in the region.

Another objective of the visit is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Orthodox Christian Patriarch in Jerusalem. Pope Francis is the fourth Pope to visit Jordan.

In preparation, a local carpenter is working hard to finish the alter and chairs to be used by His Holiness for the Amman mass. Khaled AlQorainy's (Abu Mohamad) said he is very proud to contribute to this historic occasion. "For the past three months, we've been working on carving and shaping the chairs and perfecting the alter for His Holiness.” It is an honor to be part of this effort and to say ‘Welcome’ to our guest.

Abu Mohamad is a veteran papal carpenter. In 2009, he furnished the alter and chairs for the mass performed by Pope Benedict XVI in Amman. Today, his work sits in a number of churches of various denominations.

Pope Francis visit to the area includes Palestine and Israel. His Holiness will conduct mass at Manger Square in Bethlehem. In Jerusalem, He will visit the Holy Sepulcher Basilica, the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall. His Holiness will later tour the holocaust museum and lay a wreath at Mt. Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery.