Bahrain - “His power shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace”, Pope Francis reminded the 30,000 faithful who had gathered for the Holy Mass in Bahrain's National Stadium on the third day of his 39th Apostolic Journey. The Holy Father quoted the words of the prophet Isaiah about the Messiah whom God will raise up.

“His great power does not come from the force of violence, but from the weakness of love.”

He noted that, although this sounds like a contradiction, as "we often notice that the more power is sought, the more peace is threatened", the prophet announces the extraordinary news that "the Messiah to come will indeed be powerful, not in the manner of a commander who wages war and rules over others, but as the 'Prince of Peace' who reconciles people with God and with one another."

The Holy Father then asked those present to stop and reflect on the phrase "to love always and to love everyone".

Love always
Jesus’ words today invite us to love always, said the Pope. "He knows that within our relationships there is a daily struggle between love and hatred", and in this way, too, within our hearts "there is a daily clash between light and darkness". With this in mind, the Pope noted that Jesus suffers when He sees, all around the world, "ways of exercising power that feed on oppression and violence, seeking to expand their own space by restricting that of others, imposing their own domination and restricting basic freedoms, and in this way oppressing the weak".

We must always strive for peace, said the Pope, adding that "peace cannot be restored if a harsh word is answered with an even harsher one, if one slap leads to another."

Love everyone
Pope Francis went on, then, to focus on the concept of loving everyone. "If we want to be children of the Father and build a world of brothers and sisters, the real challenge is to learn how to love everyone, even our enemies."

“To love our enemies is to make this earth a reflection of heaven.”

Bringing his homily to a close, Pope Francis stressed that the power of Jesus is love, and He gives us the power to love in this way, a power which "to us, seems superhuman", he said.

Finally, the Pope thanked all those present in Bahrain's National Stadium and assured them that with him he brought the affection and closeness of the universal Church, "which looks to you and embraces you, which loves you and encourages you".

Pope Francis meets youth of Sacred Heart School
The Holy Father had a private audience with the youth of the Sacred Heart School in Awali.

The director, two teachers and students welcomed Pope Francis to the Sacred Heart High School. They presented him with flowers before moving into the gymnasium, where the Pope met with about 800 young people.

The director gave a welcoming address before a traditional dance and two students gave their testimonies.

Pope Francis later spoke to the school community. After the blessing, he signed the Book of Honor.
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