Pope Francis wound up his trip to Bahrain by visiting the oldest Catholic church in the Gulf, telling bishops, priests and nuns to remain united as they ministered to the faithful in the majority Muslim area.
The last event of his four-day trip took place at Sacred Heart church, built in 1939 on land donated by the then-ruler, putting Bahrain on the road to becoming one of the most accommodating countries in the region for non-Muslims.
There are around 160,000 Catholics in Bahrain, the majority of them are foreign workers. Bahrain has two Catholic churches, including a contemporary cathedral that is the largest church on the Arabian Peninsula.
Numerous Catholics travel there from Saudi Arabia, which forbids non-Muslims from participating in public church.
Local Catholic leaders were warned by Pope Francis to steer clear of divisions, disputes, and rumours.
He emphasised that ethnic, cultural, and ceremonial distinctions could not harm or jeopardise the oneness of the spirit.
According to Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vatican's apostolic vicar for the region, there are about 60 priests serving the estimated two million Catholics who are dispersed across four countries in North Arabia. He noted that these priests sometimes face "very difficult conditions" because of limitations in some states.
Pope Francis congratulated King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for Bahrain's "exquisite hospitality" at the conclusion of the church service.
Only the second pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, the pontiff's visit brought attention to the tensions between Bahrain's Sunni Muslim monarchy and the Shia opposition, which accuses the government of approving human rights abuses, which the authorities deny.
Speaking against the death sentence and urging "ensuring respect and concern for all those who feel most at the outskirts of society, such as immigrants and prisoners," the pope emphasised human rights in his first address in Bahrain.
In the Gulf countries that produce oil, foreigners—mostly low-paid migrant workers—are the driving force behind the economies.
Thousands of Catholics in Bahrain and from around the Gulf poured into a stadium to hear the Pope say mass yesterday.
Later on that day, a tiny demonstration against the death penalty and life sentences in Bahrain, which put down a pro-democracy uprising in 2011, was conducted along the path of the pope's motorcade until police officers interfered to put an end to it.
Following a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates in 2019, Pope Francis' visit is part of his ongoing strategy to strengthen connections with the Islamic world.
The pontiff concentrated on the part that religions play in advancing peace and disarmament as he wrapped up an East-West conference that Bahrain had hosted. He remarked that religious leaders cannot endorse wars, with obvious reference to the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He previously mentioned the "forgotten war" in Yemen, where a seven-year struggle between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Houthi party, which is allied with Iran, has led to a severe humanitarian situation.
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