Several hundred Catholics made a pilgrimage to the Jordan River on Thursday for an annual celebration at the site where Jesus was baptised, an selfnews correspondent said. The ceremony, which took place at Qasr al-Yahud on the banks of the river near the occupied West Bank town of Jericho, was organised by the Catholic Franciscan Order. The site is believed to be the spot where Jesus entered the water some 2,000 years ago to be baptised by John, who immersed his followers in the Jordan to symbolise their purification in the eyes of God. Last year, the Israeli government opened a baptismal pool at Qasr al-Yahud along the southern reaches of the river in honour of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit as pontiff to the Holy Land. But earlier this year, environmental groups warned that baptisms in the lower Jordan should be banned over pollution fears as the river has become increasingly filled with sewage. Qasr al-Yahud is located in a closed military zone near Jericho. Although it has been opened to pilgrims on special occasions, Israel recently allowed access to the site six days a week. 