As Pope Francis prepares to visit Bahrain from November 3-6, the Holy See Press Office offers an overview of the Pope’s visit. The Pope’s 39th International Pastoral Visit aims to increase religious dialogue and encourage local Catholics.
(Vatican News Network)From November 3 to 6, Pope Francis returns to visit the Middle East, becoming the first pope to visit Bahrain. This will be Pope Francis’ 39th international pastoral visit and Bahrain will be his 58th country. Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, provided journalists with an overview of the Pope’s visit on 28 October.
According to the director of the Holy See Press Office, the two main themes of the Pope’s visit are the “meeting” and “encouragement” of Catholics in the region. The Pope will participate in the closing ceremony of the “Bahrain Dialogue Forum”, where about 200 leaders of different religions will come together to promote brotherhood. The document on human fraternity, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 by the Pope during the meeting with the leaders of the various religions, will be the setting for the continuous strengthening of interreligious relations. The Pope’s trip is “a precious step on the path of fraternity and religious dialogue”.
Bruni went on to say that another important context for the Pope’s meeting with religious leaders is the ongoing war in Europe and in the world. One of the objectives of this meeting is to continue to seek allies who share a common desire for world peace. Pope Francis was invited by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to attend the Bahrain Forum and visit the Middle East.
The Pope’s visit is not just about religious conversation. As pastor of the universal Church, Pope Francis also went to Bahrain to encourage the local Catholic community, whose members are mostly expatriates. Of the country’s roughly 80,000 Catholics, only about 1,000 are Bahraini citizens. The vast majority of local Catholics are migrant workers from India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.
In fact, during the four-day trip, the Pope will hold seven public meetings, four of which with different groups of the local Catholic Church, including young people, clergy and religious, as well as those from neighboring countries. And, before the Pope’s departure, local Catholics and leaders of other religions expect words of hope from the Pope, encouraging everyone to move towards peace in today’s world, tormented by conflict.
Furthermore, the director of the Holy See Press Office also recalled that the special plane on which the Pope will make this visit will reach the goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions in terms of environmental impact. The ita airways announcement explained that he would like to accompany the Pope on his 39th international pastoral journey in the name of sustainable development. Sustainability is exactly what Pope Francis reiterated in his teaching.
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