Pope Francis received in audience the King of Bahrain, His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on Monday. A communique from the Press Office of the Holy See says the Pope and His Majesty held cordial discussions focused on various themes of common interest, with particular reference to the commitment towards peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the promotion of dialogue and peaceful co-existence among all members of society.
Mention was then made of the Christian community’s positive contribution to the country, and appreciation was expressed for His Majesty’s personal interest in the needs of the local Catholic community.
H. M. Al Khalifa showed the Pope a project for the construction of a Catholic cathedral in Bahrain, dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia. The cathedral should be built in the coming years, on a plot of 9000 m2, a major project for the Arabian Peninsula. Between 100,000 and 140,000 Catholics live in Bahrain, mainly immigrants from the Philippines, India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.
