Pope Francis joined Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Saturday in declaring Jerusalem the "common patrimony" of Christians, Jews and Muslims, on the first day of a visit to the North African country. In a joint statement, the two leaders said Jerusalem was "common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions," during the pontiff's visit to Rabat. The pope is due to finish his Saturday schedule by meeting migrants at a centre run by Catholic humanitarian organisation Caritas. In Morocco, where Islam is the state religion, authorities are keen to stress the country's "religious tolerance" which allows Christians and Jews to worship freely. About 30,000 to 35,000 Catholics live in Morocco, many of them from sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 30, 2019 18:00 UTC