Catholics in United Arab Emirates greet pope with cheers, tears
Title : Catholics in United Arab Emirates greet pope with cheers, tears
Link : Catholics in United Arab Emirates greet pope with cheers, tears
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Abu Dhabi’s main stadium was a sea of yellow-and-white Vatican flags on Tuesday as Pope Francis arrived in warm sunlight to lead an open-air mass for tens of thousands of Catholics.
Over 135,000 worshipers, including from war-wracked Yemen, erupted in cheers as the pontiff was driven into the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
Standing in the back of a white Mercedes convertible with the hood down, the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula delivered blessings to those fortunate enough to secure tickets to the unprecedented open-air service.
He has used his visit to the United Arab Emirates to reach out to Muslims as well as highlighting Yemen’s devastating conflict, in which the UAE is a key player. One member of the congregation held a large pink poster reading: “We the Catholics of Yemen love you.”
In the middle of the arena, a simple cross stood on an altar along with a statue of Mary carrying a baby Jesus.
“If I talk to you about this, I will cry,” said Lucy Watson, a 61-year-old Indian volunteer at the stadium.
“This is my faith, and Jesus is everything to me,” she told AFP.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the pope in my own eyes.”
‘Walked for hours’
Between 135,000 and 170,000 Christians from parishes across the UAE boarded 2,000 buses in the early hours of Tuesday morning to head to the capital Abu Dhabi, along streets lined with Vatican City and UAE flags.
By 8 a.m. (0400 GMT), worshipers of some 100 nationalities had filled the stadium. (Read More)
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