–Catholic Leaders Open New Church In UAE‘s Abrahamic House
Pope Francis and other Catholic leaders opens St. Francis of Assisi Church, a synagogue house, to make up the new interfaith Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi.
With the opening of the new worship center, The three Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, now share a common place to worship in the predominantly Muslim United Arab Emirates.
In 2019, Pope Francis alongside Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb signed a historic pledge, calling for peace across all three religions.
Representing the pope for the first prayer service at the new St. Francis of Assisi Church was Cardinal Michael L. Fitzgerald. He said in a speech;
“The place of prayer should also be a place of joy, and I hope that this will be true for all of us here present.”
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Speaking on behalf of the Pope, he said Francis would encourage all those who gathered “To continue in the culture of dialogue as our path; to adopt mutual cooperation as our code of conduct; and to endeavor to make reciprocal understanding the constant method of our undertakings.”
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, the apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, speaking at the prayer service said;
“We have entered a new phase in the history of religions.
“His Holiness Pope Francis wanted to take the name of this great saint precisely to recall the value of fraternity, peace, and creation and to show the priority of closeness between human beings, especially for those who are in poverty and in need.”
The Abrahamic Family House which consists of the three places of worship, was designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye.
