Bishop Hinder commends Bahrain’s coexistence model, says HH Pope’s visit is dream come true

Manama, Oct. 12 (BNA): Bahrain’s religious freedom and openness to a pluralistic world make the Kingdom a model for peaceful co-existence of the many different faiths who live and work side by side, a leading bishop has said. “For many of the Catholics in Bahrain, who have been eagerly awaiting this visit since the King of Bahrain personally invited the Pope, this is like a dream come true,” Bishop Paul Hinder , the Apostolic Administrator for the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Arabia, said ahead of the historic visit by Pope Francis to Bahrain upon an invitation from HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. In an interview with the Crux, well-known for its coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, Bishop Paul Hinder highlighted Bahrain’s unique religious composition and tolerance. “The Kingdom has been very welcoming to the expatriate Christian community and provides a climate of openness and tolerance for people of different beliefs to practice their faith. Bahrain is a vibrant community with a rich cultural mix – a model for peaceful co-existence of the many different faiths who live and work side by side in the island nation,” he said. The news of the Papal visit has caused great excitement, not only among the Catholics, but even among people of other faiths who live in Bahrain, Bishop Hinder added. Bahrain has over 80,000 Roman Catholics, the majority of them migrants from various countries, including the Indian Subcontinent and the Philippines, he said in the interview. “Bahrain has a history of religious freedom and tolerance for nearly 200 years and allows worship places for all religions.” The Pope will visit Bahrain on November 3-6 and will take part in the Bahrain Dialogue Forum: The East and The West for Human Coexistence". The Forum, on November 3-4, is within Bahrain’s keenness and strategic direction to build bridges of dialogue between leaders of faith and leaders of thought, culture and media, in cooperation with Al Azhar, the Catholic Church, the Muslim Council of Elders, and international institutions concerned with dialogue, human coexistence and tolerance. Bahrain has a long history of religious freedom and co-existence, he said. “Bahrain has the Sacred Heart Church, which is also the first Church in the Arabian Gulf, built and opened in 1939, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, which was built on a plot of land (9000 square meters) gifted by His Majesty King Hamad,” he said. Bishop Paul Hinder said that relations between Bahrain and the Vatican have progressed greatly in recent years. “In 2014, His Majesty King Hamad presented a model of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia to Pope Francis and also extended an invitation to the Pontiff to visit the Kingdom. This was followed by visits of the Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Salman in 2020 and the King’s representative who again renewed the invitation in 2021,” he told the Crux. HM King Hamad also endorsed the Document on Human Fraternity, signed in Abu Dhabi by the Pontiff and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of the Al Azhar and the Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, in 2019. The document emphasizes the keenness of His Holiness the Pope and the Grand Shaikh of Al Azhar on dialogue aims to further the spirit of cooperation among followers of different faiths while working together to address challenges and issues which threaten the common home and the fabric of societies, he added. The Papal visit to Bahrain is a continuation of what was established in Abu Dhabi. “The Bahrain Forum for Dialogue is a reflection of the Kingdom’s positioning as a developed and liberal country which seeks to have a leading voice in the conversation on the values and goals that can unite peoples and contribute to the progress of the human race,” he said.