Pope celebrates 1st mass in the Gulf
Pope Francis blesses worshippers during a mass at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, his first in the Arabian peninsula. Pope Francis travelled to Abu Dhabi to participate in a conference on inter religious dialogue sponsored by the Emirates- based Muslim Council of Elders, an initiative that seeks to counter religious fanaticism by promoting a moderate brand of Islam.
Abu Dhabi, Feb. 5: Pope Francis held a historic public mass for an estimated 170,000 Catholics at a stadium in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, capping the first ever papal visit to the Gulf where Islam was born.
The pontiff waved at the enthusiastic crowd carrying yellow Vatican flags and banners as he rode in an open- top Popemobile into Zayed Sports City Stadium, where an altar with a large cross was set up for the unprecedented open- air service in a country that normally restricts worship to inside churches.
The UAE borders Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, but unlike its larger neighbour, which outlaws all non- Muslim places of worship, Abu Dhabi allows Christians among its large migrant workforce to practise their faith discreetly.
Francis, who has made outreach to Muslim communities a cornerstone of his papacy, wrapped up his historic three- day visit with the mass.
The pope's public comments in Abu Dhabi have centered on calls to end wars across the Middle East and protect the rights of all citizens. In a homily on Tuesday, he turned to the tens of thousands of migrant workers living in the Emirates.
“It is most certainly not easy for you to live far from home, missing the affection of your loved ones, and perhaps also feeling uncertainty about the future,” the pope said. “But the Lord is faithful and does not abandon his people.”
Pope Francis' trip has been warmly welcomed by Filipino and Indian Catholics among the UAE's huge migrant workforce. About one million Catholics live in the country, or about one in 10 of UAE residents.
Asian nationals make up some 65 percent of the population and are crucial to all sectors in the oil- rich Gulf state, from construction to services and hotels.
The son of Italian immigrants who was raised in Argentina, Jorge Bergoglio – or Pope Francis – has paid particular attention to migrants and refugees during his papacy.