Pope Francis: Journey to UAE part
of the “surprises” of God
At his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis reflects
on his Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates.
By Christopher Wells
Although brief, the Apostolic Journey to the United Arab
Emirates “wrote a new page in the history of dialogue between Christianity and
Islam,” Pope Francis said Wednesday, “and in the commitment to promote peace in
the world on the basis of human fraternity”.
Keeping the love of Christ at heart
Speaking at the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis said
that he was mindful that his Journey — the first ever papal visit to the
Arabian Peninsula — came during the 800thanniversary of St
Francis of Assisi’s encounter with the Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. “I thought
about St Francis during this journey”, the Pope said. “It helped me to keep the
Gospel, the love of Jesus Christ, in my heart as I experienced the various
moments of the visit”.
Sons and daughters of God
Pope Francis went on to reflect on some of the high points
of the Journey. He pointed to the signing of the Document on Human
Fraternity, with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, which the Pope said represents
another step forward. In this document, he said, “we affirmed the common
vocation of all men and women to be brothers and sisters, insofar as all are
children of God”. The two leaders also condemned “every form of violence,
especially those clothed in religious motivations”, and committed themselves
“to spreading authentic values and peace throughout the world”. The Holy Father
encouraged people to read the Document “because it gives so
much impetus to move forward in the dialogue on human fraternity”.
Defending common values
Pope Francis noted that there is “a strong temptation” in
our day “to see a clash between Christian and Islamic civilization, and to
consider religions as a source of conflicts”. He explained that the signing of
the document was meant to be a “clear and decisive” sign that, “despite a diversity
of cultures and traditions, the Christian world and the Islamic world
appreciate and defend common values”.
Praying for peace and justice
Finally, the Holy Father reflected on his encounter with the
Christian people who live in the UAE. During the Mass at Zayed Sports City
Stadium, he said, “we prayed in a particular way for peace and justice, with
special intentions for the Middle East, and for Yemen” in particular.
The Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates “relates
to the ‘surprises’ of God”, the Pope said in conclusion. “So let praise Him and
His providence, and pray that the seeds sown might bring forth fruits according
to His holy will”.
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