King Abdullah welcomes pope to Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan, May 8 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI got a royal welcome in Jordan, with King Abdullah meeting him Friday at the airport in Amman.

In his first remarks of his three-day visit to the country, the pope talked of his respect for the Islamic faith and for Jordan's dedication to freedom of religion and said the Roman Catholic Church might help bring peace to the region, The New York Times reported. Benedict is to spend eight days in the Middle East.

"Friends, unlike the pilgrims of old, I do not come bearing gifts or offerings," Benedict said during a visit to a Catholic organization. "I come simply with an intention, a hope: to pray for the precious gift of unity and peace, most specifically for the Middle East."

Benedict has some fence-mending before him in Muslim countries and in Israel. His relations with Muslims were strained in 2006 by a speech quoting anti-Islamic remarks by a Byzantine emperor and with Jews by an ongoing controversy over the World War II role of Pope Pius XI, now a candidate for sainthood.

The pope's itinerary in Jordan includes a visit to a mosque, a meeting with Iraqi Christians and praying at Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land shortly before his death. The pope travels to Israel on Monday.