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Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has on Tuesday ministered the first ever papal mass in the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam. The Holy Father is the first to deliver mass in the Arabian Peninsula in front of about 135,000 attendees at Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi. CNN reports that the Mass began inside the stadium with the presence of a large crucifix seen hanging above the improvised tower as it is a rare sight in an Arab Gulf state. The cleric in his homily delivered in Italian and translated into Arabic with English subtitles on giant screens, called the crowd to remain steadfast knowing that God is faithful. Francis said, "It is most certainly not easy for you to live far from home, missing the affection of your loved ones, and perhaps also feeling uncertainty about the future but the Lord is faithful and does not abandon his people. “Jesus did not ask us to build great works or draw attention to ourselves with extraordinary gestures. He asked us to produce just one work of art, possible for everyone: our own life." The pontiff explained. The cleric told the crowd that they did not need to build great "superhuman" works to be called or known as faithful but rather messages that promoted peace and meekness. The crowed inside and outside the Zayed Sports City Stadium cheer the pontiff as chants of "Viva il Papa" and "We love you!" echoed from an estimated 135,000 people gathered.
By: Anne Clement Bassey