"In Jordan, Christians have never been ghettoised, but they have always mixed with Muslims, they take part in the social, political and cultural life in all its aspects". On the final day of the meeting of the Scientific Committee of Oasis, under way in Amman, these are the words of mgr. Selim Sayegh, patriarchal vicar of the Latins for Jordan. The Vicar outlined a picture of the Latin Church in the country, lingering on ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. "Dialogue with the Christian faiths does not go beyond the dialogue of everyday life, not least because the Orthodox Church refuses in principle a dialogue about the Christian religion". As to the "official" dialogue with the Muslims, he explained: "it does not actually exist, even if Christians usually attend every Islam-Christian meeting held in the country. The subjects of such meetings are always topics that find some common ground between the two faiths, regardless of their principles or doctrines". However, wished mgr. Sayegh, "Christians and Muslims should cooperate more and more as Jordanians, starting to build a society that needs everyone’s help, without settling for proper relations, but persisting in a process of deep reflection that will make them more open to each other". (Daniele Rocchi-Amman)
