Pope Francis Plans Visit to Morocco

Pope Francis is said to be planning an official visit to Morocco, a destination for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, Italian media said.

Turiweb.it was first to relay the news quoting Vincenzo Abbinante, Morocco’s honorary council in Bari.

The visit will take place in a few months, he said adding that preparations are ongoing.

Neither the Vatican nor the Royal Office announced the visit yet.

The Paper recalled that King Mohammed VI invited the Pope to visit the country five years ago.

According to other press reports, Pope Francis will visit Morocco to take part in the intergovernmental conference on international migration to be hosted by the North African Kingdom December 10-11. The conference is expected to work out, under the auspices of the United Nations, a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.

Since the UN General Assembly voted in September 2016 to draw up the compact, Pope Francis showed support to the project, meant to take decisive actions to save migrants’ lives and protect their rights. He repeatedly called on world governments to include in the compact proposals that would ensure the welcome, protection, promotion and integration of migrants and refugees.

If confirmed, the visit will be the second to Morocco for Head of the Roman Catholic Church, after Jean Paul II trip to the Kingdom during the reign of King Hassan II 30 years ago.

During that visit, Pope Jean Paul II gave a speech in front of thousands of people at the Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca.