Written by Fatima Al-Najm
On the papal plane, November 7 (BNA): His Holiness Pope Francis described his historic four-day visit to Bahrain at the invitation of His Majesty King Hamad as a “meeting trip” that allowed him to “get to know a country that has open culture”.
After four days of high-level meetings and talks with His Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and clergy from East and West, Pope Francis shared his impressions of his historic journey at 30,000 people. Presented in the air with Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
“It was a journey of encounter. For me, the novelty of getting to know a culture that is open to everyone: in your country, there is room for everyone. Total openness. As well as the religious part, openness. I was astonished by the sheer number of Christians living and working in the country,” he told the Bahrain News Agency during a conversation on aboard of the plane.
During his visit, Pope Francis participated in the Bahrain Dialogue Forum held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, which brought together more than 200 prominent scholars from East and West to Bahrain.
He also attended the meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders headed by the Grand Imam, Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb.
“I was moved by what was said during the meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders,” he said.
“The ideas put forward by the Imam of Al-Azhar were in the direction of seeking unity and unity in Islam and respecting differences and differences, but also unity with Christians and other religions, and there are issues that we must deal with whether we are Muslims or Christians.
“I was also moved by the things that were said in the Council of the Elders, about creation and the preservation of creation, and that is the concern of everyone, Muslims and Christians and everyone. Now, the Secretary of State of the Vatican and the Supreme Council of the Imam of Al-Azhar is traveling from Bahrain to Cairo on the same plane, with the brothers, and this is something Very poignant. And this is something that has done some good.”
Pope Francis stressed the importance of dialogue and working together to resolve differences.
“From the Islamic point of view, I listened attentively to the three sermons of the Grand Imam. [of Al Azhar] I was struck by the way he was so insistent on dialogue among Islamists, not to erase differences but to understand each other and work together, not against each other.”
“We Christians have a bad history of differences that have led us to religious wars: Catholics against Orthodox or against Lutherans. Now, thank God, after the Council, there is a rapprochement and we can dialogue and work together and this is important, a testimony to doing good to others. Then specialists and theologians will discuss Theological matters and they can discuss them, but we have to walk together as believers, as friends, as brothers and sisters, doing well.”
In his statements to the Tunisian News Agency, the Pope stressed the importance of identity for a serious dialogue, saying, “In order to enter into an interreligious dialogue or an ecumenical dialogue, you need your own identity.”
“I am a Muslim”, “I am a Christian”. I have this identity and so I can speak with an identity. When you’re not identified, when you’re ‘well-ventilated’, it’s hard to get into a dialogue because there’s no back and forth and that’s why it’s so important.”
During his historic visit to the Kingdom, Pope Francis performed many public activities that included a prayer for peace at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, a mass at the Bahrain National Stadium, a meeting with students, and a prayer meeting at the Sacred Heart Church, the oldest Catholic church in the Arabian Gulf.