The Pope and the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar conclude their visit to Bahrain

On Sunday, Pope Francis returned to Rome, after a historic four-day visit to Bahrain, which focused on interfaith dialogue, during which he called for respect for basic human rights and prayers for the “suffering” peoples in the Middle East.

The Pope had headed to Rome at noon after a farewell ceremony at the Royal Air Base in Sakhir. The Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, bid farewell to Pope Francis and the accompanying delegation. In a speech he delivered during a meeting with bishops, priests and pastoral workers at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Manama, the Pope said: “As I see the faithful from Lebanon who are present, I affirm my prayer and my closeness, especially to that beloved and weary country that is going through an ordeal and to all the suffering peoples in the Middle East.”

The Pope renewed his prayers for Ukraine, calling for an end to the war there. He also called on church men to be “guardians and builders of unity.” “Let us also do this in the multi-religious and multicultural society in which we live: always for the sake of dialogue and weavers of communion and unity with brothers of other faiths and denominations,” he added.

Pope Francis thanked the Bahraini authorities and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for the warm hospitality and reception, and everyone who contributed to the success of his visit, which is the first for a Pope to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The visit is the second by the Pope to the Arabian Peninsula since his historic trip to the UAE in 2019. It came within the framework of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue “East and West for Human Coexistence”, which was attended by about two hundred prominent officials and clerics from the Middle East.

The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said that the King of Bahrain also bid farewell to the Grand Imam upon his departure from Bahrain. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb expressed his pride in the relations between Al-Azhar and the Kingdom of Bahrain, praising the Kingdom’s efforts in spreading the values ​​of brotherhood and tolerance, and its elegant organization of the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue “East and West for Human Coexistence”, and its generous hosting of the participating delegations.

Yesterday, Sunday, the Grand Imam affirmed that the sincere efforts in spreading the values ​​of tolerance and coexistence among peoples are universally accepted and supported.