São Paulo – Pope Francis, the supreme pontiff and head of the Roman Catholic Church, will visit Bahrain from November 3 to 6, according to a release by the Holy See’s press office this Wednesday (28). On an apostolic trip, Francis will participate in the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence” in the Arab country.
“Accepting the invitation of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, pope Francis will make the announced Apostolic Journey to the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 3 to 6 this year, visiting the cities of Manama and Awali on the occasion of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence,” said a statement released by the Vatican news website.
According to Vatican News, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, the patron saint of the Gulf, was consecrated in the city of Awali on December 10, 2021. At the opening, a letter from the Pope was delivered to the king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa. The monarch responded by expressing the desire to one day receive the pontiff in Bahrain and the intention to favor an increasing opening of the country to people who do not follow the Islamic religion. In 2014, the king was received at the Vatican and spoke with Francis about peace, fostering dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
The note informs further details, and the schedule of the Pope’s visit to Bahrain will soon be disclosed to the public. This will be the 39th trip by the Argentinean Francis as pope, who has visited 54 countries in almost ten years of his popedom. The Roman Catholic Church leader’s last overseas trip was to Kazakhstan this month. In 2019, the pope visited the United Arab Emirates.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
