Pope Francis met on Sunday with priests, consecrated men and women and the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Rabat’s Cathedral of Saint Peter.
At the beginning of the meeting, Pope Francis warmly greeted Father Jean-Pierre Schumacher, the last surviving monk of Tibhirine, who is currently living in the Convent of Our Lady of the Atlas in Midelt.
Speaking on this event, Pope Francis welcomed the fact that Christians are free to practice their religion in Morocco which fosters the strengthening of dialogue, cooperation and friendship between Muslims and Christians.
The Pope also called for rejecting hatred and conflicts, which jeopardise stability.
Pope Francis underlined the importance of dialogue, noting that this dialogue should not be done “to follow a fashion”, but rather “out of fidelity”.
The meeting was attended by several Muslims and Christians from Arab, African and European countries, which reflects the peaceful coexistence between religions in Morocco that enabled the Kingdom to be considered as model in this area thanks to the numerous initiatives by King Mohammed VI.
“I would like all Christians and Muslims around the world to know that we are brothers and not rivals, and we are working together in the land of Morocco to build a world of justice and peace,” Archbishop of Tangier, Santiago Agrelo Martínez, told reporters.
Pope Francis arrived on Saturday afternoon in Rabat for an official visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.