“I love you Pope Francis,” was the refrain among tearful worshippers who came to church to pray on learning of the death of the head of the Roman Catholic Church on Monday.
Special services will be held during the week to celebrate his life and offer prayers for eternal peace for Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88.
“All I can say is, ‘I love you Pope Francis. I love him so much,” said Roleth Manghnani, a Filipina who was among several people who visited St Mary’s Church in Dubai to say a prayer on Monday. “He brought calmness to my faith. I feel he was so real.”
Pope Francis was my happy place
Roleth Manghnani,
a Dubai resident
The Dubai resident, who works with people with disabilities and has lived in the UAE for nearly 30 years, said every Catholic had learnt lessons from the Pope’s humility and humanity, and his efforts to bring peace between religions. “It’s so sad that he left, he will be sorely missed,” she said, wiping away tears.
Stay humble
The Filipino citizen was among tens of thousands of Catholics who gathered in Abu Dhabi for the largest outdoor mass the country has seen, during the Pope’s landmark 2019 visit. She was at the mass along with her children and sisters and remembers posting a video that showed how close she got to him when he entered the stadium in Abu Dhabi.
“It's so holy for me that I saw him face to face,” she said.
She regularly tuned in when he addressed the public in Rome, and remembers his teachings “to be humble in life, to know how to sacrifice if times get rough and tough. I always listen when he goes live in the Vatican. He’s like a happy place for me," she said.
Others spoke of how watching the Pope washing the feet of the poor and living a simple life taught them life lessons. Pope Francis chose not to live in ornate papal apartments in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, and instead resided in a modest two-room residence in the Vatican guesthouse.
“He was of the people and that made a difference to us regular people,” said Jonita Carlita, an Indian teacher. “I often related to my students and my children how unlike other popes he did not stay in a grand home but always wanted to remember his roots. He was one of the most important voices for peace and his absence will be deeply felt.”
Touched lives
Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s Church, said people were moved to tears because of the connection they felt with the Pope.
“He meant everything to people. He was a compassionate, understanding leader who touched all our lives,” he said. “His visit to the UAE was historic. He touched the hearts of people and it’s no wonder they are in tears because he mattered to them.”
In Abu Dhabi, during the evening mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, the Apostolic Vicar for Southern Arabia, told parishioners the Pope’s teachings, his UAE visit and signing of the Document of Human Fraternity, with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, showed his deep commitment to peace.
“His visit here to Abu Dhabi in February 2019 is unforgettable for us,” the Bishop said. “We all remember his visit to our Cathedral of Saint Joseph here in Abu Dhabi, his tenderness, the way in which he met so many of you.
“His visit to Abu Dhabi will remain unforgettable also for the signing of the prophetic document on human fraternity, on dialogue between people of different faiths to promote peace in the world and build a more fraternal world.”
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- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
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Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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