VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will visit the United Arab Emirates
next year, becoming the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, the Vatican
announced.
In a Dec. 6 statement, the Vatican said the pope will
"participate in the International Interfaith Meeting on 'Human
Fraternity'" after receiving an invitation by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
"The visit will take place also in response to the
invitation of the Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates," the
Vatican said.
The Feb. 3-5 trip will take place less than a week after Pope
Francis returns from his Jan. 23-28 visit to Panama for World Youth Day.
Shortly after the announcement, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates,
welcomed the announcement of the pope's visit in a post on his personal
Facebook page.
The visit, he said "will strengthen our ties and
understanding of each other, enhance interfaith dialogue and help us to work
together to maintain and build peace among the nations of the world."
In a message published on the visit's official website, Swiss
Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, expressed his hope that
the pope's "short visit will be a moment of deepening our faith and our
adherence to the bishop of Rome."
Although a detailed program of the pope's schedule "will be
published before Christmas," Bishop Hinder confirmed that Pope Francis
will celebrate a public Mass in Abu Dhabi Feb. 5 and that arrangements are
being made to allow as many faithful as possible "to participate in this
historic event."
"Let us keep in mind that it will be the first visit of a
pope to the Arabian Peninsula," the bishop said.
The Vatican also released the logo and the theme of the papal
visit, "Make me a channel of your peace," which is inspired by St.
Francis of Assisi's prayer for peace.
The theme, the Vatican statement said, "expresses our own
prayer that the visit of Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates may spread in
a special way the peace of God within the hearts of all people of
goodwill."
Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman, said the theme was also a fitting
description of the purpose of the pope's visit which will focus on "how
all people of goodwill can work for peace."
"This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental
importance the Holy Father gives to interreligious dialogue," Burke said.
"Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture
of encounter."