The Pope greets reporters on his plane to the Middle East, including the BBC's Jeremy Bowen
Pope Francis has praised Jordan for its "generous welcome" to Syrian refugees at the start of a three-day visit to the Middle East.
The Pope was welcomed by King Abdullah II and in a speech at the royal palace, he stressed the need for an "urgent" solution to the Syrian conflict.
He went on to celebrate Mass at a stadium in the capital Amman and will later meet Syrian refugees.
The tour's official purpose is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.
However, correspondents say many will expect Pope Francis to use his influence to try to ease tensions in the Middle East.
In his speech, he also called for more respect for religious freedom, calling it "a fundamental human right".
"I cannot fail to express my hope that it will be upheld throughout the Middle East and the entire world," he said. Christian minorities have been subject to increasing attacks in some parts of the Middle East in recent years.
He thanked Jordan for its "efforts to seek lasting peace for the entire region" and said this would also require a "just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict".
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The Pope will be accompanied by a rabbi and an imam - friends from his native Argentina - and hopes to improve relations between Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land.
His journey comes only a few weeks after the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks collapsed.
Israel has issued restraining orders against several Jewish right-wing activists this week over concerns that they could try to disrupt the visit.
Police said offensive "anti-Christian graffiti" was discovered on the wall of a church in the southern city of Beersheba on Friday.
Preparations were well under way at Manger Square in Bethlehem ahead of the Pope's visit
The Pope's journey marks the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and the head of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Athenagoras.
The meeting ended 900 years of separation and enduring antagonism between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity.
On Sunday, Pope Francis will travel to Bethlehem in the West Bank and preside over Mass in Manger Square, near the site where Jesus is believed to have been born.
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