Some 30,000 people gathered at Bahrain’s National Stadium on Saturday to attend Pope Francis’ mass, on the third day of his visit to the Muslim Gulf kingdom. In the crowd, many faithful from Asian countries, families with children as well as religious came to attend the celebration which should begin at 08:30 (05:30 GMT) in the largest sports arena in the country, located in Riffa.
Arrived Thursday in this island state of 1.4 million inhabitants for a four-day visit, the 85-year-old pope must greet the crowd aboard his “Popemobilebefore delivering a homily in Spanish. “We’ve been here since one o’clock in the morning, we haven’t slept. We are so excited to see the Pope!Philomina Abranches, a 46-year-old Indian volunteer living in Bahrain, told AFP.
“Everyone wants to see the Pope! It’s a lifelong dream for everyone to come and see it. We all call him Dad. He represents world peace first and foremost, that’s what we need right now“, she added. Each participant received a plastic bag containing, among other things, a white cap with the logo of the trip, a paper Vatican flag and a bottle of water.
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Marguerite Heida, 63, says to herself “lucky“to attend the”biggest event of the year“. “People usually go to Italy to see the Pope and don’t always get there. I saw him yesterday at church and I will see him today. I was also able to shake his hand and get his blessing“says this Christian from Bahrain. On the platform, an imposing gold cross dominates the altar framed by two giant screens while the sound speakers broadcast religious songs.
Bahrain, which formalized diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 2000, has some 80,000 Catholics according to the Vatican, mostly Asian workers.