The Dubai World Expo was postponed from last year to this year due to the epidemic. The Vatican Exhibition Hall presents a meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan.
(Vatican News Network)The Holy See Cultural Committee arranged the Vatican Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo in accordance with the theme of this World Expo, “Join Hands to Create Wonderful Miracles.” An announcement by the Vatican Committee stated that from today to March 31, 2022, this simple pavilion, completed with the contribution of the Franciscan youth group, aims to become “a beauty, science and faith in friendship and cross-border Encounter under the label of culture and inter-religious dialogue”. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, Chairman of the Holy See Cultural Committee, attended the opening ceremony. The Holy See National Day of the Expo will be celebrated on March 19, 2022.
The Vatican Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo chose to symbolize two historic meetings, namely: the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan King Kamil (Malik Al-Kāmil) 800 years ago, and February 4, 2019 The meeting between the Japanese Pope Francis and the Great Imam of Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi. The Pope expects the continuation of the “Human Brotherhood” joint statement signed to promote the world‘s peaceful and harmonious coexistence.
This World Expo is the first World Expo to be held in a Muslim-majority Middle Eastern country. The planners of the pavilion of the Holy See are Tomasz Trafny and the architect Giuseppe Di Nicola. The works on display include: Giotto’s “St. Francis of Assisi” in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi A copy of “Meet the Sultan” and a collection of the “Abu Dhabi Joint Declaration of Brotherhood” published by the Vatican Bookstore Publishing House. This collection contains the English and Arabic versions of the “Joint Statement”, Dubai Chief Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum) and Pope Francis’ preface. The pavilion also displays a replica of Michelangelo’s “Adam Is Made” in the Sistine Sanctuary, as well as several sets of the uniforms of the Pope’s Swiss Guard.
Among the many manuscripts from the Pontifical Library of the Vatican, there is an Arabic translation of the opening remarks of the “Alexander Sion Handbook” (approximately 800-830), and the Fibonacci (Leonardo Fibonacci) on the introduction of Arabic numerals into the West. Pisano’s “Book of Calculations” (Liber Abaci) (c. 1170-1250). In addition, there is another copy of “Observations on the Reform of the Gregorian Calendar” by Portuguese astronomer Tomás de Orta.
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