In a joint statement on Saturday, the two leaders said Jerusalem was "common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions". "The specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem... must be protected and promoted," they said in the declaration released by the Vatican as the pontiff visited Rabat. Catholics are a tiny minority in Morocco, where 99 percent of the population is Muslim. Buildings had been repainted, lawns manicured and security stepped up before the first papal visit to Morocco since John Paul II in 1985. In Morocco, where Islam is the state religion, authorities are eager to stress the country's "religious tolerance" which allows Christians and Jews to worship freely.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 31, 2019 09:56 UTC