Pope Francis expected to visit Bahrain in early November

Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square, September 28, 2022. AP - Gregorio Borgia

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Pope Francis is expected in the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 3 to 6.

It is the first time that a pope will set foot in the country, which is predominantly Shiite, but where Catholics, mostly migrants, represent 5% of the population.

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With our correspondent in Rome,

If the sovereign pontiff is expected first in Manama the capital, he will also go to Awali, in the center of Bahrain, where the only Catholic cathedral in the Arabian Peninsula was consecrated last year, on land donated by the king from Bahrain. 

But this trip also shows how much Francis placed the dialogue of cultures and religions at the center of the concerns of his pontificate.

A few weeks after his trip to Kazakhstan where he met the leaders of many religions, he must indeed participate in a forum entitled "East and West for human coexistence", focused on the dialogue of civilizations.

The pope often evokes "

" when speaking of the wars which are tearing the planet apart and constantly recalls the urgency of dialogue in this fractured world, insisting on the role that religions must play in his view. in peace and stability.

This visit to Bahrain will take place in the dynamics of the document on human fraternity that he signed in February 2019, in another country in the region, the United Arab Emirates.

► To read also: Pope Francis brings together all his cardinals in Rome to discuss the future of the Church

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• Pope Francis