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VATICAN / RABAT, March 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Pope Francis travels to Morocco on Saturday, the first pope to do so for 35 years, with interreligious dialogue and immigration on the agenda.
The Argentine pontiff will be welcomed by the population of about 30,000 Catholics in the North African country, composed mainly of students from sub-Saharan Africa or migrants heading to Europe.
Nearly 10,000 people are expected to attend a Mbad in a Rabat stadium on Sunday, a first in the Sunni Muslim country to 99% since John Paul II's visit in 1985.
After his visit to the UAE in January, the papal mbad will come the day after his meeting with the "commander of the faithful", King Mohammed VI, as well as other senior religious leaders.
The spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world has repeatedly called for religious tolerance and dialogue and his visit is eagerly awaited by the country's Christian minority.
According to the constitution, "Islam is the state religion that guarantees freedom of worship for all".
Unlike Muslim-majority countries such as the United Arab Emirates, apostasy in Morocco is not punishable by death.
Muslims can convert, but proselytism – described as "undermining the faith of a Muslim or converting him to another religion" – can be punished by three years in prison.
Francis will meet migrants on Saturday at the diocesan center of Caritas and deliver a speech.
Migrants increasingly cross the Mediterranean between North Africa and Spain, as Italy has virtually closed its ports.
The Church has created several reception centers of this type in different Moroccan cities, where Christians and Muslims work.
During his visit in 1985, John Paul II attended an interreligious meeting of 80,000 young people in a stadium.
King Hbadan II was then the first Arab chief to invite the pope to surrender, and he himself went to the Vatican in 1991. – NNN-AGENCIES
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