Pope Francis, leader of the world's Catholics, on Thursday, started a trip to Bahrain as a step to enhance the dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
It was the first papal visit to Bahrain and the second trip to an Arabic country as he visited the UAE in 2019.
During his trip, he will meet Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, after that, he will give a speech.
On Friday, Francis will attend the "Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence", organized by the Muslim Council of Elders.
Next, he will hold a meeting with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, , representing Sunni Muslims.
Both religious figures signed a joint document committing to interfaith coexistence in 2019.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters that the pope's point of view "concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and known".
Tomorrow's "prayer for peace" will be organized at the cavernous Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali.
On Saturday, Francis will lead a mass prayer at Bahrain's national stadium with an attendance of nearly 30,000 people.
Francis will have a prayer with the Catholic figures and others on Sunday before returning to Rome.
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