Pope in UAE: greetings to participants at the end of Mass

Pope Francis wound up his Feb. 3-5 Apostolic Visit to the United Arab Emirates with an open-air Mass at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City.  Catholic faithful from across the 7 emirates that make up the UAE union attended the Mass. UAE authorities said some 180,000 people from various nationalities, largely from south Asia, attended the papal Mass.

At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, the Holy Father greeted all those present before proceeding to the airport for his flight back to Rome.

Please find below the Pope’s word of thanks:

Before concluding this celebration, which has been a source of great joy to me, I wish to extend my affectionate greeting to all of you who have participated; the Chaldean, Coptic, Greek-Catholic, Greek-Melchite, Latin, Maronite, Syro-Catholic, Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara faithful.

 I sincerely thank Bishop Hinder for the preparations of this visit and for all his pastoral work.  A warm thanks also to the Patriarchs, Major Archbishops and all the other Bishops present, to the priests, consecrated persons and to so many lay faithful who are deeply committed, with generosity and a spirit of service, to their communities and to the poorest.