杏MAP导航 visit to Morocco: Encouraging Islam-Christian dialogue
By Francesca Merlo
In Tuesday鈥檚 letter to his 鈥淒ear Christian brothers and sisters鈥�, Rabat鈥檚 Archbishop, Cristóbal López, reiterates the Holy See Press Office鈥檚 announcement that 杏MAP导航 Francis will be visiting Morocco from the 30th to the 31st of March 2019. Archbishop López highlights that there are many Christians in Morocco who are 鈥減assing through, on their difficult migration, towards Europe鈥�.
Memories of love and hope
He recalls the 1985 visit of 杏MAP导航 Saint John Paul II, a memory which he says is 鈥渟till alive鈥�, and a visit, which he says brought 鈥済reat hope, love and blessings鈥� to the people and the Catholic Church in Morocco.
Promoting dialogue and communion
鈥淭he mission of the 杏MAP导航鈥�, Archbishop López continues, 鈥渋s of confirming us in our faith鈥�. He says the 杏MAP导航 wants to 鈥済et to know us, share parts of our life, encourage us, pray with us and bless us鈥�. He also explains that the 杏MAP导航 wants to meet the people of Morocco and its authorities, 鈥減articularly His Majesty the King, in the spirit of an interreligious Islam-Christian dialogue鈥�, that both want to promote.
The Archbishop expresses the desire Christians have to expand communion amongst themselves and with the people of other faiths in Morocco, stating that 鈥渢he 杏MAP导航鈥檚 visit will be a wonderful occasion to express and live our communion with the Bishop of Rome鈥� and ultimately, through him, the Archbishop says, 鈥渨ith the universal Church.鈥�
Prayers for a fruitful journey
Finally, Archbishop Cristóbal López of Rabat urges Christians to open themselves up, 鈥渂y moving and going towards鈥� the 杏MAP导航, who 鈥渃omes from afar to meet us鈥�.
As they await a detailed programme of the visit, he urges everyone to 鈥減ray each day鈥� for the fruits of this papal journey.鈥�
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