." ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁visited ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁pap al ▁tour ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁since ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ' s ▁historic ▁trip ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁visited ▁Ab u ▁D hab i , ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates , ▁on ▁the ▁inv itation ▁of ▁Moh ammed ▁bin ▁Z ay ed ▁Al ▁N ah yan . ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁po pe ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁pap al ▁mass ▁on ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁Pen ins ula , ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁at ten de es ▁in ▁the ▁Z ay ed ▁Sports ▁City ▁Stadium . ▁ ▁Francis ▁made ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁refuge es ▁and ▁migr ants ▁" a ▁core ▁component ▁of ▁his ▁past oral ▁work ", ▁and ▁has ▁def ended ▁their ▁rights ▁in ▁dialog ue ▁both ▁with ▁Europe ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁place ▁a ▁statue ▁in ▁St . ▁Peter ' s ▁Square ▁to ▁bring ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ▁imper ative ▁involved ▁in ▁their ▁situation ▁( H eb rew s ▁ 1 3 : 2 ). ▁ ▁Public ▁image ▁ ▁Popular ▁main stream ▁media ▁frequently ▁port ray ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁either ▁as ▁a ▁progress ive ▁pap al ▁reform er ▁or ▁with ▁liberal , ▁moder ate ▁values . ▁The ▁V at ican ▁has ▁claimed ▁that ▁Western ▁news ▁out lets ▁often ▁seek ▁to ▁port ray ▁his ▁message ▁with ▁a ▁less -