The Pope presides over a mass at the Bahrain National Stadium before thousands of people

Nov. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Pope presided over a mass this Saturday morning at the Bahrain National Stadium, located in the city of Riffa, where he addressed thousands of people as part of his third day of visit to the Middle Eastern country.

During his speech, the pontiff thanked the attendees for their “sweet and joyful testimony of fraternity”, as well as for the peace he dedicates to the land of Bahrain.

“To you who have come to this celebration from the 4 Countries of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia — which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — and from other Gulf countries, today I bring you affection and the closeness of the Universal Church,” he asserted, according to ‘Vatican News’.

Francis has described the region as a “living image of the coexistence of diversity”, of a world “increasingly marked” by the permanent migration of peoples and by the pluralism of ideas, customs and traditions.

In this sense, he recalled that God asks for a commitment to live universal brotherhood “in a concrete and courageous way”, persevering in good even when evil is received, also breaking “the spiral of revenge, demilitarizing the heart”.

“Jesus sees and suffers seeing in our days, in many parts of the world, exercises of power that feed on oppression and violence, that try to increase their own space by restricting that of others, imposing their own domination,” he stressed. the Pope, has picked up the aforementioned newspaper.

Francisco, who will remain in the island kingdom located between Saudi Arabia and Iran until Sunday, has indicated that it is a visit “for dialogue”. In this way, he has explained that he will participate in the Dialogue Forum between East and West, in which the need for “the West and the East to meet for the good of all” will be highlighted.

During his trip, the Pope has met several religious leaders of Islam, such as the imam of Al Azhar in Bahrain, the most prestigious institution of Sunni Islam.