the pomp of The reception at the first visit of a Pope to the Arabian Peninsula, Pope Francis opposed a ride in a small car. Slowly, the Pontiff rolled, accompanied by horses, squadron, and salute in front of shots – by the impressive presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.
White marble, Golden chandeliers, thick carpets – in the realm of the sheikhs of the pomp, the image, the large cinema. The Pope tried a bit in modesty.
The reception was to the taste of the influence of how controversial crown Prince Mohammed bin Said Al Nahjan, had invited the Pope in the United Arab Emirates. The head of 1.3 billion Catholics in a Region that is regarded as the cradle of Islam – a unique event.
The Embassy of the Emirates: We are tolerant
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for Free order
Francis came to the religions to call for a dialogue for peace. He sees himself as a “lawyer of the poor”. Usually he visited on his travels for the poor, the Sick, the prisons – the Outcasts of society. In Abu Dhabi should be able to see much of it. Of the Region’s powerful crown Prince Mohammed wanted to show one thing above all: We are tolerant, we let even the largest Christian exhibition on Arab soil to celebrate.
,” said the ruler at the start of the visit in the Region, in the freedom of religion at all, of course. Francis was, in turn, a lot of it, that the visit is also perceived in the neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia where no churches were built.
Also, the war in Yemen should play a role, are the Emirates with Saudi Arabia, but part of a military Alliance, die attacks, in the air there are a lot of civilians.
. That alone and the fact that the Pontiff is here at all is already “historically”, as this visit from time to Time.
churches are not build to convert, to practice Faith – but
In comparison to other Arab States, which complies with the tolerance in the Emirates, to a certain degree: Catholics are allowed to practice their Faith and build churches. True freedom of religion prevails, but also in the Emirates. So Muslims are not allowed to convert to Christianity.
the conversion could be “social suicide,” – said in a report by the Catholic aid organization Missio. The celebration of the Pope and the open self-congratulation of the crown Prince whitewashed during the visit, the social problems in the rich Oil-state.
cities such as Abu Dhabi or Dubai, have been pulled out of the desert sand, star architects, buildings, works brilliant. Millions of migrants have come from Asia to work here and earn money. The Catholic Church is a migrant Church.
Large gap between the Rich and the migrant workers
In buses were driven on Monday, the workers in masses at the high-rise buildings to construction sites. About the gap between super-rich hotel in luxury, and the migrant workers is not the Pope, too, in the picture, only a true encounter with them.
“I know certain corners where I would lead him to,” said the Apostolic vicar for Southern Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, the news portal Vatican news. But the “delicate things” about which you speak. The shadow pages were shined with the sun “in this part of the world, at least artificially”.
Hunger and war. The Yemenis suffer from great Distress.Photo: Ahmad al-Bashan/AFP
Pope Francis’ host, crown Prince Mohammed, is considered to be more aggressive puppet master in the Region. “He wants to break with the Bedouins Saga of his father, which he regarded as anachronistic in one of the most urbanised countries in the world”, analyzed the former French Diplomat Michel Duclos for the Institut Montaigne. Although “only” the crown Prince, holding the filaments in the country in the Hand.
A Desire to be feared
at the military Academy Sandhurst-educated Mohammed, a blow had built up a strong army, with which he engaged in an aggressive foreign policy and also in the regional competition to the previously all-powerful neighbour Saudi Arabia. In it, Muhammad’s “Desire to be feared, to be respected show.”
A French NGO had submitted to the visit of crown Prince Mohammed in France three months ago, officially suit: for war crimes in Yemen, participation in torture, and inhuman behavior. The respected Egyptian writer Ala al-Aswani called the crown Prince “the main driver of the war in the Yemen,” a conflict that the United Nations regard as the worst humanitarian disaster in the world.
“The people you meet, spend millions of dollars on weapons, the children killed, tens of thousands of Yemeni children,” he wrote in a letter to Pope Francis by the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica” printed on it.
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Pope’s trip to the United Arab Emirates Mission of understanding
Christian Böhme, Thomas Seibert
“that politicians must ask themselves whether it is right to meet princes and rulers, the blood-stained hands,” he explained. A Pope but had to go where the people are suffering. Even if the Suffering at this Meeting, was invisible. Annette Reuther/Simon Kremer/dpa
