Pope arrives on first trip to Bahrain, with rights in spotlight

Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, on Thursday began a trip to Bahrain aimed at fostering dialogue between Christians and Muslims, but marked by criticism of the Gulf state's record on human rights.

The first papal visit to the island nation is this pontiff's second voyage as pope to the Arabian peninsula, after a 2019 trip to the United Arab Emirates also aimed at inter-faith outreach.

The pope, 85, who is using a wheelchair due to knee problems, used an electronic platform to board the plane and broke with his usual practice of greeting journalists on arrival.

Uniformed guards on horseback and Vatican and Bahrain flags lined the route of his short journey to the lavish Sakhir Royal Palace, where he was greeted by a crowd of cheering children.

During his trip, which lasts until Sunday, he will meet Bahrain's king, hold an open-air mass and lead a prayer for peace at a vast modern cathedral opened last year.

In the days before his visit, international rights groups urged him to speak out against alleged abuses against Shiite Muslims, activists and opposition figures in the Sunni-led monarchy.

Francis is set to conduct a "courtesy visit" with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa following a welcoming ceremony, and then give a speech to authorities, diplomats and members of civil society.

On Friday, Francis will address the "Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence", organized by the UAE-based Muslim Council of Elders.

- 'Banner of dialogue' -

Afterwards, he will hold a private meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of the prestigious Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest Sunni institution.

The two religious leaders signed a joint document pledging interfaith coexistence during Francis' UAE trip in 2019.

The Argentine pope has made outreach to Muslim communities a priority during his papacy, visiting major Muslim countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, and most recently in September, Kazakhstan. 

On Tuesday, Francis asked the faithful assembled on Saint Peter's Square to pray for his upcoming trip, calling it "a journey under the banner of dialogue."

Ahead of the voyage, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists he would not guess whether Francis would broach the topic of human rights. 

But the pope's view "concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and known," Bruni said. 

Francis' visit to Bahrain follows recent scrutiny of the rights record of neighbor Qatar -- particularly treatment of low-income migrant workers, women and the LBGTQ community -- ahead of the football World Cup later this month, which it is hosting.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch and eight other rights groups called on Francis to publicly press Bahrain to "halt all executions, abolish the death penalty, and seriously investigate torture allegations and violations of the right to a fair trial".

They also called on Francis to demand better protections of migrant workers and the release of opposition figures, journalists and others still imprisoned since a crackdown that followed pro-democracy protests in 2011.  

A government spokesman rejected the groups' allegations, stating Tuesday that Bahrain "does not tolerate discrimination", and that no one is prosecuted for their religious or political beliefs.

- 'Prayer for peace' -

Friday's "prayer for peace" will be held at the cavernous Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali, which seats more than 2,000 people and opened in December.

It was built to serve Bahrain's approximately 80,000 Catholics, mainly workers from southern Asia, including India and the Philippines.

On Saturday, Francis will lead mass at Bahrain's national stadium before a crowd of nearly 30,000 people, where workers on Wednesday were adding finishing touches, including a giant gold cross above Francis' chair.

About 2,000 spots will be saved for Catholics arriving from Saudi Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, the apostolic administrator for the vicariate of Northern Arabia, told Vatican News.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam, is an absolute monarchy repeatedly accused of abuses by rights groups. Riyadh does not recognize freedom of religion and bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

Francis will preside over a prayer meeting with Catholic clergy and others on Sunday before returning to Rome.