Morocco: Pope Francis sends message of peace ahead of visit

Pope Francis on Thursday sent a message of peace ahead of his 2 day visit to Morocco.

The head of the Vatican is the first pope to visit the north African nation in 35 years.

“ As Christians and Muslims, we believe in God the Creator and Merciful One, who has created men and women and lives on the earth so that they may live together as brothers and sisters, respecting each other’s diversity and helping each other in their need. He has entrusted the earth, our common home to them, to care for it and to preserve it for future generations “, he said.

The pope added he will “encourage the Progress of the Christian community and to meet the migrants who represent a call to build a world of greater justice and solidarity’‘.

Pope Francis will be welcomed by some 30,000 Roman Catholics in Morocco, who are mostly sub-Saharan African students or migrants heading for Europe.

He will hold a mass in Rabat on Sunday and 10,000 faithfuls are expected to attend.

Ahead of the Pope’s visit, the Christian Moroccan Coordination said ‘’ we dream of a free Moroccan morality, hoping for a “historic occasion” for Morocco to “move forward in this direction”.

AFP