The Roman Catholic Church in Jordan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.
There are approximately 170,000 Catholics in Jordan or 2.9% of the Jordanian population. Catholics are divided in four traditions:
120,000 Melkite Catholics - 2%
25,000 Roman Catholics - 0.4%
15,000 Armenian Catholics - 0.3%
10,000 Syrian Catholics - 0.2%
The whole of the country forms a single Archeparchy. Jordanian Catholics belonging to the Greek Catholic churches use the Melkite Rite, these are referred to as "Roum Catholiks" in Jordan (Roum or Rome referring to Byzantine, while those following the standard rites of the Roman Catholic Church are referred to as "Lateen".
Communion by hand is not permitted in any Catholic Church in Jordan, and the habit itself is completely alien to most Jordanians (except Protestants). Sometimes, however, at mass conducted for non-Jordanians, and specifically westerners in Jordan, communion by hand is permitted.
There are currently 32 Latin Catholic churches in Jordan. For full list see Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem website: http://www.lpj.org/newsite2006/parishes/jordan/index_jordanparishes.html