Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, granted an interview to L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican Radio-Vatican News ahead of the Pope’s apostolic journey to Bahrain. During his visit, the Pope will participate in the Bahrain Forum for Dialogue.

“I think the message coming out of this Forum and the Holy Father’s participation is quite clear,” said Cardinal Parolin. “It is a sign of unity at a particularly delicate, complex, and in some ways tragic moment in our history.”

“It is an invitation to dialogue, an invitation to encounter between East and West, in a reality, such as that of Bahrain, which is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious reality; hence the ability to live together, the ability to collaborate even in a composite reality such as that which characterizes that country,” the prelate added.