Pope in Albania to promote inter-religious harmony

Pope Francis travels to Albania on Sunday for a packed one-day visit that will spotlight the country as a model of inter-religious harmony, amid turmoil in the Middle East and rising intolerance in Europe.

While the Holy See earlier this year voiced support for US air strikes in Iraq to defend persecuted Christians, Francis has made dialogue between religions a cornerstone of his papacy and will be keen to counter the call for force with a recipe for peace.

Francis set off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport at 0500 GMT, smiling as he boarded an Alitalia plane and shook hands with the cabin crew.

Albania tightened security before his arrival, raising the police force alert to its highest level and mobilising special forces across the country amid warnings that Islamic State jihadists could be planning an attack on the Catholic leader.

Yellow-and-white Vatican flags flew in the main streets of the capital Tirana alongside Albania’s red flag with its black double-headed eagle, while vast portraits of Catholic priests and nuns persecuted under communism were strung across roads.

Pope Francis travels to Albania on Sunday for a packed one-day visit that will spotlight the country as a model of inter-religious harmony, amid turmoil in the Middle East and rising intolerance in Europe.

While the Holy See earlier this year voiced support for US air strikes in Iraq to defend persecuted Christians, Francis has made dialogue between religions a cornerstone of his papacy and will be keen to counter the call for force with a recipe for peace.

Francis set off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport at 0500 GMT, smiling as he boarded an Alitalia plane and shook hands with the cabin crew.

Albania tightened security before his arrival, raising the police force alert to its highest level and mobilising special forces across the country amid warnings that Islamic State jihadists could be planning an attack on the Catholic leader.

Yellow-and-white Vatican flags flew in the main streets of the capital Tirana alongside Albania’s red flag with its black double-headed eagle, while vast portraits of Catholic priests and nuns persecuted under communism were strung across roads.