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Pope Francis Makes Historic First Papal Visit to Bahrain

posted on: Nov 16, 2022

By: Claire Boyle / Arab America Contributing Writer

Introduction:

Earlier this month, Pope Francis made a historic first papal visit to the country of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf from November 3-6, 2022. Never before has any pope visited Bahrain, a country with an almost seventy-percent Muslim majority. Interestingly enough, Bahrain also happens to have a sizable Catholic minority, and part of the Pope’s trip was meant to strengthen Bahraini Catholics and others living in the Gulf region.

So, why did Pope Francis make this historic first trip to Bahrain, and what issues were addressed during his meetings with the country’s political and religious leadership? In this article, we break down the reasons for Pope Francis’s trip to Bahrain, the historical significance of this visit, and his role in brokering interreligious dialogue between the Vatican in Rome and Muslim leaders in the Gulf.

Reasons for Visiting Bahrain:

The primary reasons for the Pope’s trip to Bahrain were to further his engagement with interreligious dialogue, strengthen Catholic minorities, empower the youth, discuss social issues, attempt to bridge the Sunni-Shiite divide, and meet with political officials to create stronger partnerships between nations as well as continuously advocating for world peace.

In his tenure as the Pope, Francis has become rather adept at engaging in interreligious dialogue, and he seems to focus on creating improved ties with Muslim-majority countries with either small Catholic minorities like Iraq, or others with sizable Catholic minorities as evidenced by his most recent trip to Bahrain . Francis’s trip to Bahrain continues this tradition of creating lasting bonds between the leaders of these two major world religions, that being Catholicism and Islam. This is further emphasized by his words in September 2022 when the Catholic News Agency reported that Pope Francis said, “ [t]he path of interreligious dialogue is a shared path to peace and for peace; as such, it is necessary and irrevocable.” The Pope’s visit to Bahrain was in line with his mission to promote world peace, and interreligious dialogue, and to create stronger bonds between Europe and the Middle East.

In addition, Francis’s trip reflected his commitment to strengthening Catholic minority communities in the Middle East. This dedication is especially important to remember that in 2021, the Pope also visited Iraq . That trip was also meant to further interfaith relations between Muslims and Catholics as well. Since Francis is the leader and public face of the Catholic church, it is important for him to show solidarity and unity with Bahraini Catholics especially since it is one of the few countries in the Persian Gulf region that has provisions for religious freedom beyond practicing Islam.

During his visit, Pope Francis held discussions with Bahraini youth of many religions at the Sacred Heart School in Isa Town. In his address to the young people, Francis urged them to “ break down many social and cultural barriers, and to foster the growth of fraternity and innovation.” In his speech to the youth, he mentioned that he was impressed with how they embraced each other’s differences while building lasting relationships and friendships. It is interesting to note that Sacred Heart School serves a diverse religious population in Bahrain including Catholics, Muslims, and other faiths.

The Pope also used his platform to discuss social issues such as the usage of the death penalty in Bahrain, and women’s rights. Upon arrival to Bahrain, Francis met with Bahraini political leaders, and strongly advocated for the government to repeal its usage of the death penalty saying that “ human rights could not be assured for all” if the country kept it as part of their penal code. It is important to note that the Bahraini kingdom uses the death penalty beyond criminal cases, especially as a tool to prevent political dissidence, protests, and human rights, and to discriminate against the Shiite population. Furthermore, the kingdom is led by Sunnis, but the country’s population is a Shiite majority and that means their leadership is similar to a system of apartheid that is based on religion rather than race. The Bahraini Sunni leadership has repeatedly been accused of human rights abuses, and Pope Francis also called for equitable treatment of immigrants, dissidents, and women.

When Pope Francis left Bahrain to return to Rome at the end of his trip, he also advocated for increasing women’s rights. In a session with the press, he mentioned that women should not have to fight for their rights. It is interesting to note that the Pope is calling out other countries for their treatment of women , but yet, women are still not able to become priests, cardinals bishops, deacons, or popes in the Roman Catholic Church. Is this potentially a bit of hypocrisy on the Pope’s part?

Finally, the Pope met with political and diplomatic leaders during his trip to urge everyone to seek peaceful options to solve the world’s many crises. He also met with Sunni and Shiite leaders where he hoped to serve as a neutral party to two groups that have been at odds over certain religious practices and teachings in Islam for centuries.

Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama, Bahrain

Perhaps, one of the most joyous events that held much pomp and circumstance during the Pope’s visit to Bahrain was when he celebrated Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama! According to Reuters, Sacred Heart is also the Gulf region’s oldest Catholic church which frequently brings in other Catholic worshippers from neighboring nations such as Saudi Arabia and other countries where the public practice of any other religion than Islam is forbidden. The church has beautiful stained-glass windows. In addition, the Pope and bishops wore flourishing red and white vestments that seem to reminisce the flag colors of Bahrain, and he also served as the celebrant for Mass at this historic church.

Everyone can even relive the trip to Bahrain since the Vatican put together a brief highlights video of his spectacular visit around the country!

Conclusion:

Pope Francis’s visit to Bahrain was a whirlwind trip. In three days, he met with national and religious leaders, engaged in interfaith dialogue, discussed social and gender issues, and advocated for the preservation of human rights worldwide. He also had the opportunity to celebrate a Mass at the Bahrain National Stadium where he spoke to thousands of Catholics from Bahrain and neighboring countries and then he served as the celebrant during Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama. Finally, Pope Francis continues his mission of reaching out to countries in the Arab World. Last year, it was Iraq, this year, Bahrain, and then the main question to ask is, where will he go in the future? Finally, Pope Francis continued his goodwill mission of promoting the Catholic faith, cooperation, and peace worldwide.

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Claire Boyle is a contributing writer for Arab America. From January to June 2021, she was a senior intern for Arab America. Claire is a(n) historian, having earned a(n) MA in History, With Distinction, from DePaul University and a BA in Global Studies, Magna Cum Laude, with a Minor in Arabic, and an Emphasis in Interfaith Studies from Benedictine University. She currently works for the Arab America Foundation in membership and as an assistant. Claire enjoys writing about Arab World history and culture, particularly about Morocco, where she studied abroad many years ago, and the stories of Arab Americans.

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Pope Francis arrives in Bahrain on first trip to the Gulf nation

Pope Francis calls for an end to rights violations during a four-day trip to Bahrain, which has been criticised for alleged rights abuses.

Pope Francis has arrived in Bahrain on his first trip to the Gulf nation, calling for an end to discrimination and human rights violations.

It is vital that “fundamental human rights are not violated but promoted”, the pope said on Thursday at the Sakhir royal palace following his arrival in the Gulf Arab state, where the Shia Muslim opposition and rights groups accuse the Sunni monarchy of overseeing human rights abuses, a charge authorities deny.

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Religious freedom should be “complete and not limited to freedom of worship”, he said.

The pope was welcomed by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The visit is Pope Francis’s second to a Gulf Arab country, following his 2019 landmark trip to Abu Dhabi, where he signed a document promoting Catholic-Muslim fraternity with a leading Sunni cleric, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb. Al-Tayeb is the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The pontiff will meet again this week in Bahrain with al-Tayeb, as well as other prominent interfaith figures.

The trip will also allow the pope to minister to Bahrain’s Catholic community, which numbers around 80,000 in a country of around 1.5 million.

Most are workers hailing from the Philippines and India, though trip organisers expect pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries will attend the pope’s big Mass at the national stadium on Saturday.

After arriving in Bahrain, the 85-year-old pontiff said, “Let us guarantee that working conditions everywhere are safe and dignified.”

Bahrain is home to the Gulf’s first Catholic Church, the Sacred Heart parish, which opened in 1939, as well as its biggest one, Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral.

The pope will visit both churches during his visit and is likely to thank the king for the tolerance the government has long shown Christians living in the country.

Journalists on the papal plane from Rome reported that the Argentine pontiff did not talk to the press during the flight as normal because of a knee problem.

This is the first-ever visit by a pope to Bahrain, a Shia-majority island nation off the Arabian peninsula.

Bahrain’s government has been repeatedly criticised for human rights abuses.

Human rights groups and relatives of Shia activists on death row have urged the pope to use his visit to call for an end to the death penalty and political repression in Bahrain.

In 2011, Shia-led opposition activists staged protests across the country demanding reforms in the Sunni-led kingdom. But the ruling Al Khalifa family responded by cracking down on dissent and sought the help of neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which sent troops to help crush the unrest.

Since the uprising, Bahrain has outlawed opposition parties and arrested dozens of activists, sparking international criticism.

There have been  reports of torture  and forced confessions in death penalty cases, some involving political prisoners accused of “terrorism”.

Bahrain rejects allegations of human rights violations. The kingdom has claimed that Iran trained and backed the demonstrators in order to topple the government in Manama – an accusation Tehran denies.

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Pope Francis becomes first pope to visit Bahrain

By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome Newsroom, Nov 3, 2022 / 08:37 am

Pope Francis landed in the Kingdom of Bahrain Thursday, becoming the first pope to visit the Muslim island nation located in the Persian Gulf.

On the flight from Rome Nov. 3, the pope told journalists aboard the papal plane it is “an interesting trip [that will] make us think about sharing good news.”

Francis, who usually walks around the plane to greet media members, said he was in a lot of pain, and asked journalists to approach him where he was seated instead.

Pope Francis is visiting Bahrain Nov. 3-6. Located to the east of Saudi Arabia and west of Qatar, the country has a total population of 1.5 million, according to a 2022 estimate by the CIA World Factbook.

There are around 161,000 Catholics in Bahrain, many of whom are migrants from Asia, particularly the Philippines and India, according to 2020 Vatican statistics. There are two Catholic churches and 20 Catholic priests.

The visit's theme is “Peace on earth to people of goodwill,” inspired by Luke 2:14, and will include meetings with both Muslim leaders and the small Christian community.

The population is more than 70% Muslim, with the majority belonging to the Shiite branch of Islam, the country’s state religion. 

Speaking to journalists aboard the flight Nov. 3, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said he hopes the papal visit will help improve the situation between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Bahrain.

While Shia Muslims are the majority of the population, Bahrain’s royal family belongs to the Sunni branch of Islam, leading to protracted sectarian tension in the country. Human rights groups have also accused the government of committing abuses against both the Shia majority and migrant workers, and of unfair imprisonments.

Cardinal Ayuso said Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the only person in the country with the power to release Shia political prisoners. After landing in the country, Pope Francis’s first appointment will be a private meeting with the king.

The pope will also address members of the government and civil society on Nov. 3.

On the second day of the visit, the pope will give the closing speech at the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence. 

Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar, is also traveling to Bahrain to participate in the forum with Pope Francis. The religious leaders most recently met in September at an interreligious summit in Kazakhstan.

Francis will meet privately with el-Tayeb before speaking to members of the Muslim Council of Elders at the mosque of Sakhir Royal Palace.

The day will close with an ecumenical meeting and prayer for peace in Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, consecrated on Dec. 10, 2021. The ark-shaped Catholic cathedral seats 2,300 people and was built as part of a 95,000-square-foot complex.

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On Nov. 5, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass at Bahrain National Stadium and meet with youth. His final morning, Nov. 6, will consist of a prayer meeting and Angelus with local Catholics at Sacred Heart Church in Manama.

Before leaving Rome, in the afternoon on Nov. 2, Pope Francis visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray for the success of the trip through the intercession of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani.

It was Francis’ 100th visit to the historic Roman icon.

Alexey Gotovskiy contributed to this report.

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Pope Francis on Thursday brought his message of dialogue with the Muslim world to the kingdom of Bahrain, where the Sunni-led government is hosting an interfaith conference on East-West coexistence even as it stands accused of discriminating against the country’s Shiite majority.

Human rights groups and relatives of Shiite activists on death row have urged Francis to use his visit, which begins Thursday, to call for an end to the death penalty and political repression in Bahrain. But it’s not clear if Francis will publicly embarrass his hosts during his four-day visit, the first of any pontiff to the island nation in the Persian Gulf.

The 85-year-old pope, who has been using a wheelchair for several months because of strained knee ligaments, said Thursday that he was in “a lot of pain” as he headed to Bahrain, and for the first time remained seated to greet journalists traveling with him rather than walk down the plane’s aisle.

He arrived at the desert Awali air base to little fanfare and went immediately into a private meeting with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Khalifa at the airport before the official welcome ceremony.

Francis has long touted dialogue as an instrument of peace and believes a show of interfaith harmony is needed, especially now given Russia’s war in Ukraine and regional conflicts, such as in Yemen. On the eve of the trip, Francis asked for prayers for the trip to promote “the cause of brotherhood and of peace, of which our times are in extreme and urgent need.”

The visit is Francis’ second to a Gulf Arab country, following his 2019 landmark trip to Abu Dhabi, where he signed a document promoting Roman Catholic and Muslim fraternity with a leading Sunni cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Tayeb. Tayeb is the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning in Cairo. Francis followed that with a 2021 visit to Iraq , where he was received by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, one of the world’s preeminent Shiite clerics.

Francis will meet again this week in Bahrain with Tayeb, as well as other prominent figures in the interfaith field who are expected to attend the conference, which is similar to one hosted last month by Kazakhstan that Francis and Tayeb also attended. Members of the regional Muslim Council of Elders; the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew; a representative from the Russian Orthodox Church ; and rabbis from the United States are all expected, according to the Bahrain program.

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The trip will also allow Francis to minister to Bahrain’s Catholic community, which numbers around 80,000 in a country of around 1.5 million. Most are workers from the Philippines and India, though trip organizers expect pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries will attend Francis’ big Mass at the national stadium Saturday.

Bahrain is home to the Gulf’s first Catholic Church, the Sacred Heart parish, which opened in 1939, as well as its biggest one, Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral. The latter, with a capacity of 2,300, opened last year in the desert town of Awali on land gifted to the church by the king. The king presented Francis with a model of the church when he visited the Vatican in 2014 and extended the first invitation to visit.

Francis will visit both churches during his visit and is likely to thank the king for the tolerance the government has long shown Christians living in the country, particularly when compared with neighboring Saudi Arabia, where Christians cannot openly practice their faith.

“Religious liberty inside Bahrain is perhaps the best in the Arab world,” said Bishop Paul Hinder, the apostolic administrator for Bahrain and other Gulf Arab countries. “Even if everything isn’t ideal, there can be conversions [to Christianity], which aren’t at least officially punished like in other countries.”

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But in the run-up to his visit to Bahrain, Shiite opposition groups and human rights organizations have urged Francis to focus attention on human rights violations against the majority Shiites by the Sunni monarchy. They urged him to call for an end to the death penalty and request a visit to the country’s Jau prison, where hundreds of Shiite activists have been jailed.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly denounced the use of torture in prisons, as well as forced confessions and “sham trials” of dissidents.

“We are writing to appeal to you as the families of twelve death row inmates who are facing imminent execution in Bahrain,” read a letter from the families to Francis released this week by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy. “Our family members remain behind bars and at risk of execution despite the clear injustice of their convictions.”

Francis has changed church teaching to declare the death penalty inadmissible in all cases. He has regularly visited prisoners during his foreign trips, though no such prison visit is planned in Bahrain.

The Vatican spokesman declined to say whether Francis would raise Bahrain’s human rights record publicly or privately during his visit.

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Bahrain stadium to host congregation of 28,000 for Pope Francis's Mass next month

Faithful from countries including the uae and saudi arabia will join those from the host nation.

The streets outside Our Lady of Arabia cathedral are festooned with the Bahraini and Papal flags. John Dennehy / The National

Organisers of Pope Francis's historic visit to Bahrain next month have said that an estimated 28,000 people will attend the public Mass led by the pontiff.

The Bahrain National Stadium will be packed to capacity several hours before the Mass begins at 8.30am on November 5, with worshippers transported to the venue in Riffa by buses from midnight onwards.

The majority of the congregation — around 24,000 — will be from Bahrain, with the rest from other countries.

These include 2,000 confirmed visitors from Saudi Arabia, where it's estimated there are more than 1.5 million Catholics. They are foreign workers from various parts of the world — notably the Philippines and India.

Excitement about the visit is building up in the Bahraini capital Manama and the neighbouring cities of Riffa and Muharraq.

Papal souvenirs in red and yellow that symbolise the flags of Bahrain and the Holy See, with an olive branch for peace, are being snapped at two church stores in Bahrain.

“For the Papal Mass we are expecting 28,000 people, which is the stadium capacity, and the majority will be from Bahrain — almost 24,000 people,” John E John, director of communications at the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which covers the UAE, Oman and Yemen, told The National .

In addition to the 2,000 people already registered from Saudi Arabia, a quota of about 500 each has been allotted to the UAE, Kuwait and Oman, plus another 900 places for worshippers from other countries.

“ Attendees will meet at the Bahrain International Circuit and will be taken by bus to the stadium. The buses have been graciously offered by the government,” Mr John said.

“The Bahrain International Circuit is expected to open at 2am and the Bahrain National Stadium will open at 4am.”

Evening Mass at Our Lady of Arabia cathedral in Awali, Bahrain. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National

More than 700 volunteers, around 300 Eucharist ministers — lay people chosen to help with the distribution of the communion during Mass — and 120 priests, in addition to bishops and cardinals, will be present.

The limited capacity spaces have begun filling up, with visitors from Saudi Arabia having completed online registration for attending the Mass.

Bahrain will issue its e-visas to people who have official invitations for the service.

“The authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain have notified that they will issue an e-visa for all those who hold a valid entry pass,” said Bishop Paul Hinder, administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.

“We express our gratitude to the authorities in Bahrain who have been working hard to make the necessary arrangements for the success of the Papal visit, especially the Papal Mass.

Arabian Gulf's largest Catholic cathedral opens in Bahrain

In a message on the Bahrain church websites, the Bishop Hinder asked for understanding from the faithful who would not be able to attend the Mass in person due to limited spaces.

The Mass and other events on the Pope's schedule will be streamed live.

“I know that many of you may be disappointed in not being able to secure an invitation to the Papal Mass,” Bishop Hinder said.

“At the same time, we have to keep in mind that the size of the stadium is not able to fit the size of our Catholic community in Bahrain — much less the Catholic community in the vicariate.

“Let us also remember some of the faithful of the neighbouring countries which are much bigger in size and are making huge sacrifices even to travel to the venue.

“As the host country, I request the understanding of the faithful in Bahrain and to maintain the spirit of prayer, peace, joy, and welcome.”

Pope to travel to Bahrain in November

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis is scheduled to travel to Bahrain from 3 to 6 November 2022.

A statement released by the Director of the Holy See Press Office on Wednesday said the Pope had accepted the invitation of the country's civil and ecclesial authorities.

During his Apostolic Journey, the Pope will visit the cities of Manama and Awali “on the occasion of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence .”

The programme and further details of the Journey will be published at a later date.

Pope Francis will be the first Pope to visit Bahrain.

2014 meeting between Pope and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Pope Francis received in audience in the Vatican, the King of Bahrain, His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on 19 May 2014.

The King subsequently met with the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the former Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.

According to a Holy See Press Office statement at the time,  cordial discussions between the Bahraini King and the Pope focused on various themes of common interest, “with particular reference to the commitment towards peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the promotion of dialogue and peaceful co-existence among all members of society.”

Mention was also made of the Christian community’s positive contribution to the country, and “appreciation was expressed for His Majesty’s personal interest in the needs of the local Catholic community.”

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