Philadelphia: Once "a city of the Ammonites", it was known in earlier times as Rabbah, and Rabbath Ammon. Today it is Amman - capital city of the Kingdom of Jordan.

It was rebuilt and renamed Philadelphia by Ptolemy II almost three centuries BC and, after the Roman conquest of 63 BC, it became part of the Region of Decapolis. It was at an important confluence of roads leading from the Arabian Peninsula in the South to Damascus and the north, and from the Syrian desert in the east to Palestine and the Mediterranean in the west.

Jordan ‘not a transit route’ to Israel for Pope

THE CHURCH IN JORDAN

VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2009 (VIS) - For the occasion of Benedict XVI's forthcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land, due to take place from 8 to 15 May, statistics have been published concerning the Catholic Church in Jordan. The information, updated to 31 December 2007, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church.

Jordan has a population of 5,720,000 of whom 109,000 (1.91 percent) are Catholic. Over 40,000 Christians have their origin in Iraq, coming to Jordan since the war there began. There are three ecclesiastical circumscriptions and sixty-four parishes. Currently, there are four bishops, 103 priests and 258 religious. Major seminarians number seven.

A total of 30,595 students attend the 123 infant, primary, middle and secondary schools that belong to the Catholic Church or are run by priests or religious. Other institutions belonging to the Church or run by priests or religious in Jordan include two hospitals, one clinic, one family counselling centre, and three centres for education and social rehabilitation.

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Pope in Holy Land: 'Primary intention is to pray for peace'

Pope Benedict's Schedule in Amman
Friday 8th May
2.30 p.m. Landing at Queen Alia airport in the Jordanian capital, Amman
3.30 p.m. Visit the city's "Regina Pacis" (Queen of Peace) Centre
Visit to the Jordanian monarchs at the al-Husseinye royal palace. [next map location: Mount Nebo]

Saturday 9th May
Visit Hashemite Museum
Mosque of al-Hussein bin Talal in Amman, meet with Muslim religious leaders, the diplomatic corps and rectors of Jordanian universities.
Greek-Melkite cathedral of St. George - Celebration of Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and ecclesial movements.

Sunday 10th May
Celebrate Mass in the morning
Regina Coeli at the international stadium in Amman.     [next map location: Baptism in the Jordan]

Monday 11th May
Celebrate Mass in private at the apostolic nunciature in Amman,
travel by plane to Tel Aviv, Israel.  [next map location: Joppa (Tel Aviv)]

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Pope Benedict shakes hands with Jordan's King Abdullah II before boarding a Royal Jordanian plane at Amman Airport to Tel Aviv. The Pope renewed his appeal for religious tolerance between Christians and Muslimas as he was leaving Jordan for Israel on his tour of the Holy Land.

Jordanian Church spokesperson outlines key goals of papal visit

Other Map Locations for the Pope's visit: