Human fraternity marks Pope's trip to Abu DhabiThe Deputy of the Secretariat of State, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, presided at the Mass inaugurating the activity of the papal representation in the United Arab Emirates, for the opening of the nunciature in Abu Dhabi. The physical presence of a representative structure of the Holy See is a sign of the Pope's proximity and constitutes a greater closeness to the population of the country, especially to the Catholic community.
The Eucharistic celebration took place on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and in his homily, Monsignor Peña underlined some important aspects for that portion of the Church: "The physical presence of an Apostolic Nunciature is one more sign of the pastoral solicitude of the Holy Father for the people of this country, especially for the Catholic community, since it is rightly called the House of the Pope".
Referring to the Feast of the Presentation and the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life, the Assistant to the Secretary of State said that "this annual celebration offers us a beautiful opportunity to pray for those who have already responded to the Lord's invitation to serve him in this vocation, as well as to ask the Lord of the harvest to send even more laborers into the field. As we offer our prayers, we also reflect on the important role that consecrated life plays in the mission of the Church. This land has been blessed by the service of many religious men and women over the years, including Bishop Hinder, who is a member of the Franciscan Order.
Consecrated life is a reminder of the goodness and love of God, our Father. As he has done throughout history and continues to do today, the Lord sees what his children need and consequently calls men and women to serve the Church and society, inspiring them to embrace different charisms. No charism is the same, but each is a gift from God."
The prelate affirmed with hope that "responding to the Lord's call to follow him and serve his Church is not without its challenges. One of them, which applies to all vocations in the Church, is to fall into discouragement (...) However, we know from history that this has always been the case. We need only think of the Lord himself, who came to offer us salvation, but who often met with rejection and incomprehension, not to mention betrayal and death. In spite of everything, the Lord patiently endured and won for us the crown of victory. We should look to his example, for it offers us hope and encouragement."
Monsignor Peña Parra wanted to encourage the Arabian people by assuring them that "the Catholic community of Abu Dhabi and of the entire Arabian Peninsula is also an example of patience full of hope and Christian life. In this regard, I recall the words of gratitude expressed to you by the Holy Father during his visit in 2019 for the way in which you put the written Gospel into practice (cf. Homily, 5 February 2019). You too may be a "little flock," but every part of the Body of Christ, the Church, has a role to play. No part is better or more important than the other."
