History was made in February 2019 when Pope Francis, the figurehead for the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, became the first pontiff to visit and perform Mass in the Arabian Peninsula.
His three-day trip to Abu Dhabi, under the theme Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, underscored his commitment to interfaith dialogue. Key moments included an inter-religious meeting at The Founder’s Memorial, a stop at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a private visit to St Joseph’s Cathedral and a historic Holy Mass at Zayed Sports City Stadium attended by 150,000 people.
The visit began on February 3, when Pope Francis arrived at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi, where he was warmly received by President Sheikh Mohamed, who was then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Dr Ahmed El Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Mosque and University, and chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders.
The following day, the pontiff attended another inter-religious meeting at which 700 religious leaders and thinkers gathered to discuss world peace, coexistence and the rejection of extremism. The event culminated in the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, which later inspired the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex built on Saadiyat Island.
On the final day, an open-air Mass was held at Zayed Sports City Stadium, drawing a diverse crowd from around the world. The 90-minute service featured multilingual readings and homilies in English, Arabic, Italian, Tagalog, Latin, Korean, Konkani, Malayalam, Urdu and French.
One of the most memorable moments came when the Pope's vehicle entered the stadium to a roar of enthusiasm. A few minutes later, a young girl ran forward only to be restrained by security. The pontiff ordered his car to stop as an Emirati man lifted the child towards Pope Francis, who placed a hand in blessing on her forehead, while she, in turn, presented him with a handwritten letter in Spanish. “A brave one!” Pope Francis exclaimed at the time. “I liked it, you have to be a brave one to do that.”
Although the trip was brief, it was long enough for the Pope to form a favourable impression of the UAE. “I saw a modern country,” he said on his flight back to Rome. “It’s modern and welcoming of so many people.”
