UAE all set to welcome Pope Francis

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UAE all set to welcome Pope Francis

The papal visit is also significant as the meeting coincides with the inter-faith conference in Abu Dhabi.

by

Anjana Sankar

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Published: Sat 2 Feb 2019, 9:38 PM

With Pope Francis arriving in the UAE tomorrow, the nation is all set to roll the red carpet for the Pontiff.
In the Year of Tolerance, when the head of Catholic Church is visiting the region for the first time, the government is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure the three-day state visit will be an all out success. 
The papal visit is also significant as the meeting coincides with the inter-faith conference in Abu Dhabi that will be attended by more than 600 religious figures from around the world representing various faiths.
In a video message released by the Vatican on Thursday ahead of his visit, Pope Francis extended his warm greetings to the people of the UAE and described the emirates as a "country which strives to be a model for co-existence and human fraternity and meeting point of different civilisations and cultures".
Pope Francis stressed that he was "delighted to be meeting with a people who live out their present and look forward to the future". He said the UAE was a "country where so many people find a safe place to live and work with freedom that respects differences". 
And reciprocating the warm greetings, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, tweeted: "We warmly welcome you Holy Father, Pope Francis and look forward to the historic Human Fraternity Meeting between you and His Eminence Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, in Abu Dhabi. We are hopeful that generations to come will proper in peace and security." 

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, said in a video message that the upcoming visit of Pope Francis is "an honour" to the country. 
"Pope Francis will be visiting a nation that has learned the instrumental value of tolerance. We Emiratis welcome the world to the United Arab Emirates," said Sheikh Nahyan.
The Pope's visit will include a meeting with the Crown Prince, meeting with the Muslim Council of Elders and the Head of Grand Imam of Al Azhar and a Papal Mass at Zayed Sports City.
Pope Francis will be using a popemobile to bless the faithful, allowing a large number of faithful seated outside the Zayed Sports City to see him.
Massive preparations underway
Nearly 135,000 people are expected to attend the papal Mass on Tuesday and massive preparations are under way to arrange the logistics of transporting people to the venue. The government has declared February 5 as a holiday for the private sector employees with tickets to attend the Mass in Abu Dhabi.
Catholic churches across the UAE are also abuzz with thousands of faithful queuing up to collect their tickets. And dozens of volunteers are helping in the distribution of tickets and other arrangements within the churches.
Faithful brimming with excitement
Faithful who have got their tickets for papal Mass shared their excitement with Khaleej Times saying "it is a once in a life-time opportunity to see the Pope". 

For the UAE's nearly one million Catholics, attending the Mass conducted by Pope "is like being in God's presence" as it is the Holiest form of worship.
Indian mother of two, Jude Kishore said "it is a blessing to breathe the same air" with the Pope.
Filipino mother Joice Bugay said she is attending the Papal Mass on the same day her five-year old son Mathew James turns five. "Nothing can be more special for him. I am the happiest mother in the world as my son gets the best birthday gift ever."
People from outside the UAE, including the GCC and other countries, are also flocking to the UAE to be in the same city with the Pontiff. Malayali expat Roy Ansil, who works for a construction company in Abu Dhabi, said his wife Vanaja has come on a week's visit to the UAE "only to see the Pope".
"I am getting goosebumps when I think of seeing the Pope," said Ansil.
But reaching the Zayed Sports City on February 5 morning is going to be a huge challenge for ticket holders. The gates of the Sports City will open at 5am on Tuesday - more than five hours before the Papal Mass at 10.30am - to accommodate the huge crowd that will pour in from across the UAE and the world.
Parsihes have instructed the faithful "to start early and be patient" as many will have to start their journey at least 11 hours prior to the Mass.
Buses that will ferry ticket-holders will start their trips from designated access hubs as early as 11pm on February 4 from Dubai and 1.30am from Abu Dhabi.
For instance, the faithful from St Mary's Church in Dubai will have to reach Safa Park by 11.15pm on Monday. Around 18,000 people will be transported from the park in 400 buses, according to the official website for the Papal visit.
The significance of the visit of Pope Francis to a Muslim country is not lost on the world too as more than 700 foreign journalists from 30 countries around the globe will be descending on Abu Dhabi to cover the visit.
The National Media Council said it has completed all preparations to secure media coverage and added that huge media presence reflects the massive international interest in the Pontiff's first visit to the Arabian Peninsula.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com


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