‘Blissful moment’ for Christian community

TDT | Manama                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Before the Kingdom established the Gulf’s first church in the 1930s, priests would visit from Iraq to perform services for a small Catholic community.

Now, after almost a century, the community in the country, which includes foreigner workers as well, is preparing to welcome the Pope, the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

“Bahrain is once again giving fine examples on how to promote religious freedom,” Parish Priest Our Lady of Visitation Church Awali, Fr Thomas has said ahead of the papal visit at the invitation of HM the King.

“Through this historical Papal visit, the Kingdom of Bahrain once again is setting an example to the whole world how to take care of religious freedom,” he said. “The residents of Bahrain, the Gulf countries and in fact the entire world look up to this ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Co-existence’.

With profound gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister and the Royal family, we the Christian community together with the people of Bahrain, applaud the Kingdom’s royal care enlightened conviction and decisive leadership.”

Fr Thomas said that in this age of extremes with alarming scenarios around the world, this initiation of the great leaders with the ethics of love, justice and forgiveness would benefit the brilliant multicultural communities of Bahrain and the neighboring countries.

“His Majesty’s tireless efforts for a sustainable and integral development and Pope Francis’s exhortation to all nations to create a world free of toxic fires and fumes and to eradicate the evils that affect human souls will yield new collaborative measures to help put an end to war pandemic and poverty in the world,” he said.

“As a priest for me a great dream has come true when I will be able to see the Pope and celebrate the Holy Mass with His Holiness Pope Francis, our supreme spiritual head.” The papal visit to Bahrain was one of the great wishes of the Late Bishop Camillo Ballin, he added.