Thousands of Pinoy Catholics in UAE prepare for Pope's visit


Filipino Catholics in the United Arab Emirates are in the thick of preparations for the expected visit of Pope Francis in the Gulf state next week.
Dubai-based Gulf News reported Saturday that the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai—reportedly the largest Catholic parish in the world, received the lion's share of the tickets pegged at 43,000.
There are nine Catholic parishes in the UAE and tickets are allotted for seats inside and outside Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi, where Pope Francis is scheduled to lead the Holy Eucharist on February 5.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit UAE from February 3 to 5 (Sunday to Tuesday).
Quoting parish priest Fr. Chito Bartolo, the report said the St. Mary's Parish Church was filled with Filipino churchgoers during the Mass on February 1, two days before the Pope's visit.
T-shirts with Pope Francis prints have already been sold outside the church and a Pope standee has been set up for devotees to take photos and selfies with.
Based on data the Gulf News cited, the Filipino group is the second largest foreign nationality in the UAE, after the Indians. They are followed in terms of number by Arabs, African, German, Italian, Portuegese, Spanish, Ukranaians, Pakistanis, Bangladesh and Sri lankans. —LBG, GMA News

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