Pope Francis's Bahrain visit is like a ‘dream come true’

TDT | Manama            

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is a model for the peaceful coexistence of the many different faiths who live and work side by side, thanks to Bahrain’s religious freedom and openness to a pluralistic world.

This was according to a leading bishop in an interview with the Crux, well-known for its coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, “For many of the Catholics in Bahrain, who have been eagerly awaiting this visit since the King of Bahrain personally invited the Pope, this is like a dream come true,” Bishop Paul Hinder, the Apostolic Administrator for the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Arabia, said ahead of the historic visit by Pope Francis to Bahrain upon an invitation from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Highlighting Bahrain’s unique religious composition and tolerance, Bishop Hinder noted: “The Kingdom has been very welcoming to the expatriate Christian community and provides a climate of openness and tolerance for people of different beliefs to practise their faith.

“Bahrain is a vibrant community with a rich cultural mix – a model for peaceful co-existence of the many different faiths who live and work side by side in the island nation.” Schedule The Pope will visit Bahrain on November 3-6 and will take part in the Bahrain Dialogue Forum: The East and The West for Human Coexistence”.

The Forum, on November 3-4, is within Bahrain’s keenness and strategic direction to build bridges of dialogue between leaders of faith and leaders of thought, culture and media, in cooperation with Al Azhar, the Catholic Church, the Muslim Council of Elders, and international institutions concerned with dialogue, human coexistence and tolerance.

Relations Bishop Hinder said that relations between Bahrain and the Vatican have progressed greatly in recent years. “In 2014, His Majesty King Hamad presented a model of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia to Pope Francis and also extended an invitation to the Pontiff to visit the Kingdom.

This was followed by visits of the Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Salman in 2020 and the King’s representative who again renewed the invitation in 2021,” he told the Crux.