Pope Leo XIV Meets with the Crown Prince of Bahrain and President of Guinea-Bissau - Discussing Peace and Politics
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Pope Leo XIV on Monday, Sept. 29, met with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the Vatican.
At the end of their meeting, the Prince of Bahrain gave the Pope a golden palm tree inlaid with pearls—one of the most characteristic symbols of that region. He also gave the pontiff a book showcasing the country’s diversity and craftsmanship.
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office following the meeting with the Pope, the Prince met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Vatican's Under-Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski.
"During the cordial discussions which took place in the Secretariat of State," the statement read, "appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations" between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Bahrain, with "agreement on their desire to further strengthen them."
"Attention," it noted, "was given to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s policy of promoting interreligious dialogue and the peaceful coexistence of different religions within the Kingdom."
Finally, the statement concluded, "several topics of common interest were addressed, such as the urgent need to end the war in the Middle East and the commitment to peace among nations."
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office following the meeting with the Pope, the Prince met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Vatican's Under-Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski.
"During the cordial discussions which took place in the Secretariat of State," the statement read, "appreciation was expressed for the good bilateral relations" between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Bahrain, with "agreement on their desire to further strengthen them."
"Attention," it noted, "was given to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s policy of promoting interreligious dialogue and the peaceful coexistence of different religions within the Kingdom."
Finally, the statement concluded, "several topics of common interest were addressed, such as the urgent need to end the war in the Middle East and the commitment to peace among nations."
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population is 1,501,635 as of 2023, of whom 712,362 (47% of the population) are Bahraini nationals and 789,273 are expatriates spanning 2,000 ethnicities (53% of the population).
Religion in Bahrain - Islam (69.7%) Christianity (14.1%) Hinduism (10.2%) Buddhism (3.10%) - The state religion of Bahrain is Islam and most Bahrainis are Muslim. The majority of Bahraini Muslims are Sunni Muslims with a recent estimate giving them a 51% majority and Shia Muslims with a 49% minority. (Wikipedia and Pew Research)
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Another Meeting of the Pope on Sept. 29:
Pope Leo XIV on Monday met with the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, in the Vatican.
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office following the meeting with the Pope, the African nation's President met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by the Vatican's Under-Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski.
"During the cordial discussions which took place in the Secretariat of State," the statement read, "the good bilateral relation"s between the Holy See and the Republic of Guinea-Baissau were underlined, along with the contribution of the Catholic Church "to the common good" in the West African country, especially in the fields of education and healthcare.
The statement concluded by noting that "attention was given to certain aspects of the country’s political, social, and economic situation," and that "there was an exchange of views on current international affairs."
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Another Meeting of the Pope on Sept. 29:
Pope Leo XIV on Monday met with the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, in the Vatican.
According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office following the meeting with the Pope, the African nation's President met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by the Vatican's Under-Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski.
"During the cordial discussions which took place in the Secretariat of State," the statement read, "the good bilateral relation"s between the Holy See and the Republic of Guinea-Baissau were underlined, along with the contribution of the Catholic Church "to the common good" in the West African country, especially in the fields of education and healthcare.
The statement concluded by noting that "attention was given to certain aspects of the country’s political, social, and economic situation," and that "there was an exchange of views on current international affairs."
Among the gifts he presented to the Pope was a traditional cloth from the country. It is called Panu di Pinti, and it is worn or gifted at weddings or funerals as an expression of gratitude.
Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi) with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast. About 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, is the national language. Religions in Guinea-Bissau include 46.1% Islam 30.6% Traditional faiths 18.9% Christianity 3% no religion. (Wikipedia)
Sources: Vatican News Combined reports
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