Moroccan Christian Group Appeals to Pope for Religious Freedom Ahead of Visit

The Spanish news agency EFE has just interviewed the president of the Coordination of Moroccan Christians, one Zouhair Doukkali. The latter showed them a copy of a letter that the coordination has addressed to the Pope, at the Vatican, before the latter’s visit to Morocco in a few days. "Guaranteeing the right to practice their faith in Morocco" is in summary the request made to him.

Doukkali refers to the "fundamental freedoms" of which, according to his words, Moroccan Christians are "deprived". He emphasizes to the Spanish press agency that he is rather speaking about freedom of worship, the right to ecclesiastical or civil marriage, and Christian funeral rites in public and in complete freedom. In addition, Doukkali asks for an exemption for the children of Moroccan Christians from Islamic education courses as well as the freedom to give them biblical first names.

For Doukkali, it is also important that the Pope be fully aware that there are Christians of Moroccan nationality and origin, in parallel with the foreign Christian community residing in Morocco.

Pope Francis will make a trip from March 30 to 31, to Rabat. He should focus, among other things, on issues related to migrants and in any case the Moroccan Christians do not seem to be on the agenda of his visit. Will this letter he has been sent change his program?