The Pope met the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the Grand Imam Taib of Azhar respectively at his residence in Bahrain.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis, on a visit to Bahrain, attended the closing ceremony of the Bahrain Dialogue Forum, held in Awali on the morning of November 4, with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the Grand Imam Tai of Azhar, in the presence of Bu and religious leaders of all the world at the ceremony. Pope Francis called Bartholomew and Taib “beloved brothers”.
In the afternoon, the Pope privately met the Grand Imam Taib and Patriarch Bartholomew before holding a meeting with the members of the Muslim Council of Elders. The two meetings took place in the place where the Pope stayed during his visit to Bahrain. The Holy See Press Office noted that the Pope met Patriarch Bartholomew shortly before 3.30 am in an “atmosphere of fraternity and cordiality”.
Subsequently, the Pope met the Grand Imam Taib. The two had already met when the Pope visited Kazakhstan in September. During the meeting on the afternoon of the 4th, the Pope appreciated the speech delivered by the Grand Imam at the closing ceremony of the Peace Forum. The Grand Imam’s speech stressed the need for serious “dialogue” within Islam to promote reconciliation and unity.
During the meeting, the Pope and the Grand Imam exchanged gifts. The Pope gave the Grand Imam an olive tree that symbolizes peace and fraternity. Subsequently, the two went together to the Sakir Palace Mosque to meet the members of the Muslim Council of Elders, chaired by the Grand Imam Taib.
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