Two parishioners at St Mary’s Catholic Church take selfies in front of a cut-out picture of Pope Francis, in Dubai, the UAE. Photo: AP
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https://scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/2184813/catholics-uae-prepare-welcome-pope-francis-hordes Middle East
Catholics in the UAE prepare to welcome Pope Francis in hordes
- While nearly 4 in 5 people in the UAE are Muslims, the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics
- The pontiff’s first-ever trip to the Arabian Peninsula is widely seen as encouraging inter-religious dialogue in the region
Worshippers pray during mass at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Photo: Reuters
Like millions of his compatriots, Filipino migrant Ray Erwin adores Pope Francis. This weekend, he is counting down the hours to a historic papal mass in Abu Dhabi.
“We are very grateful. It’s a chance of a lifetime,” said the father of two, who has lived in the country for 20 years.
Erwin, 44, will be among 135,000 worshippers expected to gather on Tuesday when “Lolo Kiko” (Grandpa Francisco), as the pontiff is affectionately known in the Philippines, holds a vast open-air mass in the Muslim-majority Arabian Peninsula.
The pope’s three-day trip, which starts on Sunday, is the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula – the birthplace of Islam.
While nearly 4 in 5 people in the UAE are Muslims, the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics, according to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Most are from India or the Philippines.
Migrants from Asian countries make up about 65 per cent of the population.
In the neighbouring emirate of Dubai, the St Mary’s Catholic Church is decked out with Vatican flags and a lifelike picture of the pope, as worshippers prepare for the pontiff’s arrival.
The church, which can hold about 2,500 worshippers, was packed during mass on Friday.
People lined the walls inside while others stood in the open air to watch the sermon on two big screens.
Irene Ann Tomi, 16, said the pope’s visit would be “an eye opener for all the Christians and the Muslims in the UAE”.
“We are all human,” said the Indian national. “I believe we are connected by one thread, and that is faith.”
The pontiff’s trip is widely seen as encouraging inter-religious dialogue in the region. Photo: AFP
On Saturday, the last day to collect tickets for the mass, hundreds of people queued for passes while others lined up in front of a kiosk distributing goodie bags of memorabilia.
Irene, who is involved in youth activities at the church, said the congregation is influenced by the teachings of Pope Francis.
“We all try to incorporate his idea of smiling even when we have difficulties in our life,” she said, adding the UAE had given her and her family “a lot of freedom to pray in our churches”.
The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity.
It has eight Catholic churches, compared to four each in Oman, Kuwait and Yemen.
Qatar and Bahrain have one each, while ultra-conservative Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim places of worship.
The pontiff’s trip is widely seen as encouraging inter-religious dialogue in the region.
While nearly 4 in 5 people in the UAE are Muslims, the country is also home to nearly a million Catholics. Photo: AFP
Pope Francis will take part in an interfaith conference on Monday and will meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest seat of Islamic learning.
On Tuesday morning, more than 2,000 free buses will transport worshippers from across the Emirates to Abu Dhabi, way ahead of the mass scheduled for 6.30am GMT.
Local media say it will be the largest public gathering in the UAE.
Filipina Ruthcel Fermana, a nanny who has been living in Dubai for more than five years, said she started jumping on the bed when she found out she would be on one of the buses.
“Early in the morning when I woke up and opened my phone and then saw the message and my name was on the list. I said: ‘Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord, thank you Lord!’” she said. “Everything happens for a reason.”