Watch: Thousands of Dubai residents pay tributes to Pope Francis at memorial mass in St. Mary’s Church

Dubai: Thousands of Dubai residents paid their tributes and prayed for Pope Francis at a special memorial mass held in St. Mary’s Church on Saturday evening.

The memorial mass began at 7:30 pm, just hours after the pontiff was laid to rest in Rome following a Vatican funeral for the "pope among the people," attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners and world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Decorated photos of the Pope were displayed both inside and outside the church. Several screens were set up for those who could not enter the church to watch the ceremony from the church premises.

A massive photo of the Pope, accompanied by the message "With deep sorrow and heartfelt prayers," greeted worshippers outside the church. Another photo, decorated with flowers and candles, was placed next to the altar inside the church.

The altar for the special requiem mass also held a special connection with the late pontiff—it was the same altar he had celebrated Mass at when he visited Abu Dhabi in 2019.

People of all ages and from different walks of life came together in solemn remembrance of one who was described as "the shepherd who led with humility, spoke with courage, and loved without measure."

"I love him very much"

Twelve-year-old Kestorr Joe Fernandes attended in a wheelchair after recently fracturing his leg. An altar server at the church, the Grade Seven student didn’t want to miss the special mass for the Pope, whom he "loves very much."

“I really missed serving the altar today, but I’m glad I could come and pray for our beloved Pope,” he said.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

His father, Henry Fernandes, operations manager with an insurance company, said he was one of the blessed followers who got the chance to serve the pontiff during his Abu Dhabi visit in 2019.

“I had joined as a lay minister in 2018, and I received that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the Pope the very next year. This whole week, we have been closely following every development related to the Pope, and earlier today we watched his funeral on TV. He was a great example to the world. Peace was his motto, and he practised what he preached. He will live in our hearts forever,” added the Indian expat.

His legacy will live on

Merisa Saveret, a Filipina housemaid, came with some of her friends. She said: “We came because we really honour our Pope for his kindness, goodness, and all the good deeds and words he left behind. His pilgrimage in this earthly world has ended, but his legacy will live on and continue to guide us through our faith.”

Several non-Catholic Christians were also present at the mass, while people of different faiths joined in a memorial service that followed.

Huzefa Shabbir Necklace, one of the members of the Dawoodi Bohra community who attended the memorial service, said: “Pope Francis was very beloved amongst everyone, and he's a renowned person—a personality imparting humanity, charity, and towards a lot of other communities as well. And in his remembrance, when we were here today, St. Mary’s Church made sure that every part, especially the video that was shown, was something impactful for everyone. I was not completely aware of his kindness towards the world, but today, we understood it in depth. We see all these people surrounding and other people respecting him for that fact. And especially, I came to know that 1.2 billion people are following him. That’s a huge crowd.” 

Charming, heroic leader

At the requiem mass, Fr. Lennie J.A. Connully, Parish Priest, welcomed the gathering to the special prayer for the "charming and heroic leader of the Catholic Church."

"His earthly privilege has come to an end, and he has gone to his eternal grace. And we are all gathered here to pray for him,” he said.

Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, led the prayer in the presence of Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El Kassis, Apostolic Nuncio to the UAE and Yemen.

Bishop Martinelli recalled the great deeds of the Pope in spreading the message of peace and reuniting nations, serving the poor, and even washing the feet of prisoners. He called upon the believers to follow the path of fraternity that was led by the Pope. "I invite you to follow Pope Francis to be merciful. Let us love one another because love comes from God. Together in unity we form one body even if we are different," he said.

Archbishop El-Kassis remembered the Pope’s visit to the UAE on the invitation of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, for a historic visit during which the Pope co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.

He thanked Sheikh Mohamed as well as Sheikh Khaled, who attended the Pope’s funeral.

Special offerings

As the believers said their prayers, children made special offerings of candles, rosaries, flower baskets, plants, and more. A bookmark of prayer in memory of the Pope was also distributed to the believers.

During the memorial service that followed, people paid tribute to his enduring legacy. Several speakers noted that his memory would inspire them to walk the same path of compassion and hope.

The event celebrated the life of "beloved Papa Francisco" with music and a dance performance. A video on the Pope’s life was also screened.