Manama: A dream come true for the Catholic believers in Bahrain, Holy Mass was offered at the Bahrain National Stadium under the patronage of Pope Francis. It was also a new experience for Bahrain that the Pope offered mass in front of the faithful who filled the stadium.
Pope Francis arrived at the stadium around 8.15 am. Then the Pope addressed the faithful who circled the stadium in the Pope Mobile. The Pope blessed the babies raised from among the faithful with a kiss of love. The Pope waved through the crowd in an open vehicle and presented thousands of people of different languages and nationalities with an awkward moment like a dream.
The faithful met the Pope wearing a white hat with the logo of the Pope’s visit to Bahrain and waving the papal flag. As part of the mass, prayers were offered in various Indian languages including Malayalam. Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop Mar George Alencheri from Kerala also participated in the mass.
The devotees who arrived at the Bahrain International Circuit from two in the morning were brought to the stadium in buses after security checks. Facilities for emergency medical services were also prepared in the stadium.
28,000 people were registered to attend the Pope’s mass. Pope Francis will return on Sunday after a four-day visit to Bahrain.