Archbishop of Canterbury leads prayers at Jordan River

May 03, 2017 - 12:10 AM

AL-MAGTHAS, Jordan - The head of the Anglican Church prayed at the Jordan River as part of a Middle East tour in which he met with Iraqi Christian refugees.

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, led prayers Wednesday at the Bethany Beyond the Jordan archaeological site, believed to be the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus of Nazareth.

He called for greater support for those in need, saying: "In this place where we hear birdsong and running water we are surrounded, within a few kilometres (miles), with violence."

The Middle East is home to the oldest Christian communities in the world, but large numbers have fled in recent years to escape war and Islamic extremism.

Welby was expected to visit Israel later in the day.

News from © The Associated Press, 2017

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