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Thousands of Gulf Christians packed Bahrain’s sports stadium Saturday for the main Mass of Pope Francis, who diverted attention from his four days to the ministry of the Catholic network in the Muslim-majority region.
Pilgrims dressed in the same white caps to protect themselves from the morning sun waved the yellow and white flags of the Holy See as Francis circled Bahrain’s national stadium in his popemobile before Mass. A loud ovation erupted when he kissed a young woman in a candy. pink bubble dress she brought to the vehicle.
According to the Vatican, local organizers estimated that about 30,000 more people attended the service. Organizers said passes for the occasion were received within two days of their availability, with pilgrims coming from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
“It’s a great honor,” said Bijoy Joseph, an Indian living in Saudi Arabia who was present. “It’s like a blessing for us to be part of our Holy Father’s papal Mass in Bahrain. “
Francis is on the first papal stop in the island kingdom the size of New York off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The main objective is to participate in a government-sponsored interfaith convention to promote Catholic-Muslim dialogue. Days, he is focusing on ministry to the Catholic community, a minority in the country of about 1. 5 million.
Most are South Asian painters, many of whom have left their families to work in the construction, oil extraction and domestic service sectors in Bahrain.
Sebastian Fernandez, an Indian living in Bahrain, said he was blessed to be able to attend. “It will be a fruitful Mass and we are pleased to see our pope,” he said.
After Mass, Francis met with other young people at the School of the Sacred Heart, which dates back to the 1940s and is affiliated with the church of the same name, which was the first Catholic church built in the Gulf. Francis ends his stopover Sunday with the priests of the assembly. and nuns in the church.
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