Bishop Hinder said he had been unable to reach Yemen because of the war, but that working on specific cases “behind the curtain” sometimes yielded positive results. “They are surely proud to be the first here in the region to receive him as a sign of recognition of their tolerance and their openness,” Bishop Hinder said. “The recognition of the tolerance in this country should be an encouragement maybe for certain countries in the neighborhood,” he added, referring to Saudi Arabia. Analysts said that the pope also most likely intended for his message to reach Iran, just across the Persian Gulf. On Monday the pope will meet with the Council of Muslim Elders, at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the country’s largest.

Source: New York Times February 03, 2019 18:18 UTC