T
he King of Bahrain His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa recently paid an official visit to the Pope at the Vatican. (see video clip below)
The meeting between the two leaders took about twenty-seven minutes. A translator was present at the meeting, however, the Pope did say a few words in English. They talked about peace and stability in the Middle East and also the contribution of Christians in the country. Christians make up about 10 percent of the population of Bahrain. The Pope expressed his appreciation and thanked the King for his benevolence towards the Catholic community in Bahrain.
As is customary, gifts were exchanged after the meeting. The King gave the Pope a large red box with a scale model of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia that will be built in Bahrain. “The largest church in North Arabia, which will be built in the Kingdom of Bahrain” and the date on which the presentation was made were inscribed on the model. “The new Cathedral will be built near two mosques,” the King said, “one of the mosques is from the early Islamic era and the other inaugurated in 1988, and an Islamic cultural centre. The two nearby mosques will protect the vicariate.”
In turn, H.H. Pope Francis gifted the King with a medal inscribed with the Angel of Peace, which he said, symbolized peace and solidarity.
After the papal audience, the Bahraini delegation met with Vatican’s Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
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May 19, 2014: The King of Bahrain gives the Pope a model of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia
Description: ROMEREPORTS.COM: Dressed in a white and beige cloak and with a sword tucked into his waistband, the King of Bahrain met with Pope Francis in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The Pope and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, held a 27 minute meeting, where they talked about peace and stability in the Middle East and also the contribution of Christians in the country, which make up about 10 percent of the population. Learn more….
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BISHOP CAMILLO’S FOLLOW UP MEETING
WITH THE KING OF BAHRAIN
On June 2, 2014, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received Bishop Camillo Ballin at the Safriya Place. The Bishop conveyed Pope Francis’ greetings, gratitude and best wishes to the King and to the people of Bahrain.
Likewise, HM the King convey his greetings to Pope Francis and wished him good health and happiness. The King also expressed satisfaction at the discussions held on promoting inter-cultural dialogue and religious tolerance during his recent visit to the Vatican. He affirmed Bahrain’s constant efforts to boost religious tolerance and promote brotherly co-existence bewteen people of all faiths.
