November 3, 2022, was a special day indeed! On that day, Pope Francis began a four-days historic visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he was given an exceptionally warm welcome! From the time he arrived in Bahrain, he set the tone of his entire visit, by asking the Government of Bahrain to guarantee human rights to all and to abolish the death penalty! Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchy which has been accused of discriminating against the country’s Shiite majority. The words of Pope Francis are certainly music to the Bahraini Shiite dissidents, who are harassed and detained, subject to torture and sham trials; some of them have been stripped of their citizenship or sentenced to death for their political activities.

Pope Francis however, kept his best for the pathbreaking address he delivered to a gathering of the Bahraini Royalty, Government authorities, the Diplomatic Corps, religious and civil authorities and other eminent citizens. Using the time-tested symbol of Bahrain’s ‘tree of life’ as a metaphor, Pope Francis struck a chord with the august audience. He said, “here, where the waters of the sea surround the sands of the desert, and imposing skyscrapers rise beside traditional Oriental markets, very different realities come together: ancient and modern converge; tradition and progress mix; and above all, people from various backgrounds create a distinctive mosaic of life. In preparing for my visit, I learned about one outstanding “emblem of vitality” in this country, which is the “Tree of Life” (Shajarat-al-Hayat). I would like to take it as my inspiration for sharing a few thoughts with you. The tree itself is a majestic acacia that has survived for centuries in a desert area with very little rainfall. It seems impossible that a tree of this age has been able to live and flourish in these conditions. According to many people, the secret is to be found in its roots, which extend for dozens of meters beneath the ground, drawing from subterranean deposits of water.

He went on to focus on the need and importance of ‘rootedness’ saying, “Roots, then. The Kingdom of Bahrain is committed to remembering and cherishing its past, which tells of an extremely ancient land, to which thousands of years ago peoples came, drawn by its beauty, due especially to the abundant springs of fresh water that gave it the reputation of being a paradise. The ancient kingdom of Dilmun was thus called “the land of the living”. As we ascend from those vast roots – which spread over more than 4,500 years of uninterrupted human presence – we see how Bahrain’s geographical position, the talents and commercial abilities of its people, together with historical events, have enabled it to take shape as a crossroads of mutual enrichment between peoples. One thing stands out in the history of this land: it has always been a place of encounter between different peoples.”

Pope Francis has given a road-map, not only to those who listened to him in Bahrain, but to every human on this earth! He strongly said, “let us return to the Tree of Life. In the course of time, its many branches of varying size have produced abundant foliage, thus increasing the tree’s height and breadth. In this country, it was the contribution made by so many individuals from different peoples that enabled a remarkable increase in productivity. This was made possible by immigration. The Kingdom of Bahrain vaunts one of the highest levels of immigration in the world: about half of the resident population are foreigners, working in an evident way for the development of a country in which, despite leaving their native countries behind, they feel at home. At the same time, we must acknowledge that in our world unemployment levels remain all too high, and much labour is in fact dehumanizing. This does not only entail a grave risk of social instability, but constitutes a threat to human dignity. For labour is not only necessary for earning a livelihood: it is a right, indispensable for integral self-development and the shaping of a truly humane society.”…

There can be no life on earth, if the culture of death continues to grip humanity. Pope Francis did not mince words as he calls for an end to war and to the building of peace! “Second, the Tree of Life, whose roots that, deep in the subsoil, furnish vital water to the trunk, and from the trunk to the branches and then the leaves that give oxygen to creatures, makes me think of our human vocation, the vocation of each man and woman on earth, to make life flourish. Yet today we increasingly witness lethal actions and threats. I think especially of the monstrous and senseless reality of war, which everywhere sows destruction and crushes hope. War brings out the worst in man: selfishness, violence and dishonesty. For war, every war, brings in its wake the death of truth. Let us reject the logic of weapons and change course, diverting enormous military expenditures to investments in combating hunger and the lack of healthcare and education. I grieve deeply for all these situations of conflict. Surveying the Arab Peninsula, whose countries I greet with sincere respect, my thoughts turn in a particular and heartfelt way to Yemen, torn by a forgotten war that, like every war, issues not in victory but only in bitter defeat for everyone. I especially keep in my prayers the civilians, the children, the elderly and the sick. And I beg: Let there be an end to the clash of weapons! Let there be an end to the clash of weapons! Let there be an end to the clash of weapons! Let us be committed, everywhere and concretely, to building peace!”

The ‘Tree of Life’ is then, much more than an emblem or logo; it is a metaphor and a direction: a way of proceeding! It is a journey: of rootedness to the depths and of branching out, to embrace all particularly those who need to be embraced! It is life in all its fulness – in short, it is ‘synodality’ which needs to be lived today!

Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ