The leader of the world’s 1. 3 billion Catholics, who is the first pope in the small nation, aims to promote discussion between Christians and Muslims.
But rights teams suggested he also use it to expose alleged abuses in the Sunni-ruled monarchy.
Pope Francis told the dignitaries, adding to his host, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, that devout freedom is “complete and not limited to freedom of worship. “
Speaking less than 3 weeks before the World Cup in neighboring Qatar, which is under scrutiny for its migrant workers, the pope also demanded that “work situations be safe and dignified. “
“Many paintings are dehumanizing,” he said outdoors in Sakhir’s gleaming royal palace. “This not only poses a serious threat of social instability, but also poses a threat to human dignity. “
The first papal stop in the island nation follows the pontiff’s in the United Arab Emirates in 2019, also aimed at interfaith outreach.
Pope Francis, 85, uses a wheelchair because of knee problems and was given in and out of the plane on an electronic platform.
Uniformed guards on horseback and flags from the Vatican and Bahrain covered the course of his short adventure to the palace, where he greeted the children to cheers.
It is important that “fundamental human rights are not violated but promoted,” the pope told the audience.
“I think first of all of the right to life, of wanting to guarantee that right, adding up to those who are punished, whose lives will not have to be taken from them. “
Bahrain has executed six more people since 2017, when it carried out its first execution in seven years. Some of them were convicted after a 2011 uprising that was suppressed with the help of the Saudi army.
During his trip, which will take place on Sunday, the pope will celebrate an open-air Mass and lead prayers for peace in a new sprawling cathedral.
But the preparation of the stopover was marked by calls to pressure their hosts on rights issues.
The families of those sentenced to death in Bahrain have an open letter calling on him to intervene.
“Members of our family circle remain behind bars and are under threat of execution despite the transparent injustice of their beliefs. Many of them were targeted because they participated in the pro-democracy protests of the ‘Arab Spring,'” they wrote.
Human Rights Watch accused Bahraini courts of imposing death sentences on the basis of “grossly unfair trials. “
On Tuesday, she and 8 other rights teams suggested Francis publicly pressure Bahrain to “stop all executions, abolish the death penalty, and seriously investigate allegations of torture and violations of the right to a fair trial. “
A government spokesman rejected the allegations, saying Bahrain “does not tolerate discrimination” and does not prosecute because of its devout or political beliefs.
On Friday, Francis will speak at a forum for “human coexistence” organized through the UAE-based Council of Muslim Elders. He will then meet privately with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of the prestigious Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt’s Sunni community. institution.
The Argentine pope has made outreach to Muslim communities a precedent of his pontificate, visiting Muslim-majority countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, and most recently in September, Kazakhstan.
Ahead of the trip, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters he would guess whether Francis would address the issue of human rights, but said the pope’s perspectives “regarding devout freedom and freedom are transparent and known. “
Friday’s “prayer for peace” will take place at the cavernous Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, which seats more than 2,000 people and opened in December.
It was built to serve approximately 80,000 Catholics in Bahrain, mostly South Asian staff, plus India and the Philippines.
On Saturday, Francis will lead Mass at Bahrain’s National Stadium in front of a crowd of about 30,000 people, where on Wednesday staff put the finishing touches, adding a giant gold cross over Francis’ chair.
Francis will preside over a prayer assembly with Catholic clergy and others on Sunday back in Rome.
(AFP)