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Pope Francis was remembered in Abu Dhabi on Thursday as a different type of pope who brought a message of hope and peace to the world.
Archbishop Christophe El Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio to the UAE, said the late pontiff was a “prophetic voice in our time”.
In his homily at a special mass for the pope, Archbishop El Kassis, ambassador of the Vatican in the UAE, said the pontiff stood for the poor, the suffering and those left behind.
“From his first appearance as pope, he set a different tone – one of simplicity and closeness to the people,” said Archbishop El Kassis, at the mass at St Francis Church at the Abrahamic Family House.
“He presented not an image of power but of service. Not a voice of judgment but of compassion.”
The service took place at 7pm and was attended by a large congregation, including ambassadors, dignitaries, members of different faiths in the UAE, and worshippers in what was the official church memorial mass in the UAE for Pope Francis.
The pews were packed and seats and screens were set up outside so everyone could take part in the service.
Photos of the pope were placed outside the church and inside with the faithful paying their respects throughout the evening.
Hymns drifted from the church out into the complex and incense hung in the air as the community came together to remember the late pontiff.
The mass was presided over by Archbishop El Kassis and concelebrated by Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia.
Archbishop El Kassis reflected on how the pope chose the name Francis after St Francis of Assisi – the church is also named after this saint.
A force for good
He highlighted how Pope Francis embraced the disfigured and sick, washed the feet of prisoners, met with refugees and migrants, and called for the protection of the Earth.
“Among his most urgent appeals was a cry for peace, a rejection of war and violence – an appeal that he reiterated on Easter Sunday a few hours before he left this earthly life," said Archbishop El Kassis.
The UAE’s one-million strong Catholic community has been in mourning since the pontiff's death on Monday from a stroke and heart failure after battling respiratory infection.
Pope Francis’s body is lying in state at the Vatican where crowds are continuing to pay their respects. His funeral will be on Saturday at 10am (noon UAE) and will be attended by world leaders. A special mass will also take place in Dubai at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church. Tens of thousands are expected.
Thursday’s official mass and Saturday's gathering is in addition to daily prayers being held at churches across the UAE. A book of commemoration has also been placed at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.
More than 100 cardinals under the age of 80 will vote for a papal successor in a secret ballot known as conclave.
Landmark visit promoted harmony
Pope Francis in 2019 became the first pontiff to visit the UAE where he held an open air mass in Zayed Sports City.
“Pope Francis made the first ever visit by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula by visiting this blessed land … the UAE,” said Archbishop El Kassis.
He reflected on how the pope cosigned the Document on Human Fraternity with Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar.
“It was a profound testimony to mutual understanding … [and to the conviction] that peace among religions is essential to peace among the peoples.”
He explained how the document emphasised mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and interreligious dialogue and laid the philosophical and spiritual groundwork for the Abrahamic Family House that opened in 2023.
“Today as we celebrate this holy mass in honour of Pope Francis, we do so with sorrow … but greater still is our thanksgiving,” he said.
“He has fought the good fight until the last minute of his life. He has finished the race. He has kept the faith.”
And while worshippers are in mourning, it is also tinged with respect for the pope who made a real difference across the world.
“Tonight we are remembering and praying together for the soul of Pope Francis,” said Capuchin Fr Stefano Luca of St Francis Church. “And his legacy as well.”
Fr Luca said one of the reasons St Francis church was chosen as the venue for the official mass is because it is linked directly to the late pope.
“Being inside the Abrahamic Family House is a beacon for the world of coexistence, peace [and] friendship.”
Despite his failing health, the pontiff appeared at St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday to greet people in his last appearance. Fr Luca said Pope’s Francis's last words reflected on peace and human fraternity.
“This is something here in the UAE we will try our best to carry on – peace and human fraternity.”
'Heartbreaking loss'
Klaudyne Marcaida, who attended the mass with her husband Ryan and daughter Claire, said Pope Francis was “very close to my heart".
“When he died, it was very heartbreaking for me,” said Ms Marcaida, who is from the Philippines and has lived in Abu Dhabi for eight years.”
“The mass was very heartfelt," said Ms Marcaida, who was one of the volunteers during the Pope’s visit in 2019, adding while everyone was sad, “we know that Pope Francis is in a very good place right now”.
The Abrahamic Family House is an interfaith complex on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, which also houses the Imam Al Tayeb Mosque and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue.
“I had the distinct pleasure and honour of meeting Pope Francis twice,” said Abdulla Al Shehhi executive director of the Abrahamic Family House. “And both meetings had quite an impact on me.”
“You see why millions of people around the world absolutely love him. He's a genuine good soul. I think history will look favourably and kindly upon him.”
Mr Al Shehhi said he saw the pope only a few months ago to give him updates on St Francis church along with a video montage.
“His face was shining when he looked at it,” he said. “He really, really loved what he saw and he was visibly touched by it,” he said.
“Pope Francis was a great advocate of peace and he consistently fought for it and negotiated for it and advocated for it. I think that's going to be his legacy here as well at the Abrahamic Family House.”
Mr Al Shehhi said there were two main messages at the service on Thursday.
“First of all, of course, pray for the Pope and keep him in your thoughts and prayers,” he said.
“And the second message is to continue to uphold his legacy – continue to uphold the values that he lived for and he fought for and continue to be good human beings.”
