Il papa in Bahrain, religioni in dialogo

Il viaggio pontificio nel regno arabo del Golfo mette l’accento sulla fraternità umana fra Oriente e Occidente per un mondo di pace

A couple passes portraits of Pope Francis at Sacred Heart church in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the Nov. 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A priest takes pictures of Pope Francis posters outside the Sacred Heart Church ahead of the papal visit in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making a November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A woman speaks on her mobile phone, as she stands in front of a portrait of Pope Francis, at Sacred Heart church, in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Workers carry chairs to be set at a stadium where the Pope Francis will attend a Mass, in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A worker hang a bar in front of portraits that show Pope Francis, right and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, left, outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia where the Pope will attend a Mass, in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A Bahraini man, passes in front of a poster that shows Pope Francis outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A Bahraini man watches workers preparing a stadium where the Pope Francis will attend a Mass, in Manama, Bahrain, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pope Francis boards his flight to Bahrain at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci International airport in Fiumicino, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Francis is starting a four-day pastoral visit to Bahrain. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Francis arrives at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci International airport in Fiumicino, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, to board his flight to Bahrain. Francis is starting a four-day pastoral visit to Bahrain. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Francis greets the journalists onboard the papal plane on the occasion of his four-day pastoral visit to Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (Marco Bertorello/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis smiles and waves from a Fiat 500, as he leaves Sakhir Royal Palace after he met with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pope Francis is greeted by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as he arrives at the Sakhir Royal Palace, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis talks with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as he arrives at the Sakhir Air Base, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis arrives at the Sakhir Air Base, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Children wave Vatican and Bahrain flags as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis, outside the Sakhir Royal palace, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pope Francis and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meet at the Sakhir Royal Palace, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pope Francis, center, speaks with a Muslim Shiite Sheik, as Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa stands on the right, at the Sakhir Royal Palace, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

From left, Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Pope Francis, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pitero Parolin meet at the Sakhir Royal Palace, Bahrain, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. Pope Francis is making the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar, as he arrives to attend the closing session of the

È il secondo giorno di papa Francesco in Bahrain, uno Stato situato nel Golfo Persico tra l’Arabia Saudita e il Qatar. Il 39esimo viaggio internazionale del pontefice si svolge dal 3 al 6 novembre sotto il motto “Pace in terra agli uomini di buona volontà”. Durante la mattina di venerdì 4 novembre, il vescovo di Roma interviene nel “Forum del Bahrain per il dialogo: Oriente e Occidente per la coesistenza umana”, mentre nel pomeriggio si svolgerà un incontro ecumenico di preghiera per la pace presso la Cattedrale di Nostra Signora d’Arabia. Sabato 5 novembre si celebrerà l’Eucaristia aperta a tutti nello Stadio Nazionale di Bahrain ad Awali.

Questa visita papale ad un Paese islamico a maggioranza musulmana è un ulteriore passo nel cammino intrapreso con la firma nel 2019 del “Documento sulla fratellanza umana per la pace mondiale” da parte di papa Francesco e il grande imam di al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb ad Abu Dhabi. In Bahrain, i due leader religiosi si sono incontrati in un evento che vuole continuare ad alimentare il dialogo pacifico e fraterno tra le religioni. Inoltre, l’arrivo del papa è stato di particolare rilevanza per la comunità cattolica del Paese, intorno ai 161mila fedeli, che l’ha ricevuto con grande entusiasmo.

Nel suo discorso, il papa ha ribadito l’urgenza di porre fine alle guerre e all’utilizzo delle armi, e ha fatto un appello affinché «negli aridi deserti della convivenza umana distribuiamo l’acqua della fraternità e dell’incontro tra civiltà, religioni e culture».

Foto: AP Photo/Hussein Malla; Domenico Stinellis; Alessandra Tarantino; Pool via AP/Marco Bertorello