An Appraisal of the Pope’s Visit to UAE
I
came across an episode of “Inside the Vatican” on Pope Francis’ recent trip to
the UAE. Its authors, Colleen
Dulle and Gerard O’Connell, argue that the visit was successful. There were several accomplishments during the
trip including the encouragement of the Catholic minority in Abu Dhabi, the
largest Christian act of worship ever to take place in the Arabian Peninsula,
and dialogue between Christians and Muslims, which included a gift of land from
Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Hahyan, the Crown Prince of the UAE, for the construction
of side by side buildings (a church and a mosque) to commemorate the pope’s
visit. During the trip, Pope Francis
even was able to address the humanitarian crises in Yemen, which is the result
of four years of civil war including famine, malnutrition, and the displacement
of 2,000,000 people.
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| Pope attends a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, UAE along with Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Hahyan (CNS photo/Paul Haring). |
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