Madaba is a town famous for the “Map of Madaba,” a floor mosaic of the sixth century. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI spoke there, and what he said is a great summary of this video: “In fact, belief in God does not suppress the search for truth; on the contrary, it encourages it.”

“Religion, of course, like science and technology, philosophy and all expressions of our search for truth, can be corrupted,” the Holy Father said. “Religion is disfigured when pressed into the service of ignorance or prejudice, contempt, violence, and abuse. In this case, we see not only a perversion of religion but also a corruption of human freedom, a narrowing and blindness of the mind.”

And yet, he proceeded, “Every person is also called to wisdom and integrity, to the basic and all-important choice of good over evil, truth over dishonesty, and can be assisted in this task.

“The call to moral integrity,” he added, “is perceived by the genuinely religious person since the God of truth and love and beauty cannot be served in any other way. Mature belief in God serves greatly to guide the acquisition and proper application of knowledge.

Benedict XVI concluded by addressing some words to the young Christian students of Jordan: “You are called to be builders of a just and peaceful society composed of peoples of various religious and ethnic backgrounds. These realities – I wish to stress once more – must lead, not to division, but to mutual enrichment.”