Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, mourned the passing of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, who died today, Monday, after a life dedicated to humanitarian work, advocating for the marginalized, and supporting dialogue between different religions and cultures.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar stated in a statement published on Al-Azhar’s Facebook page today that “Pope Francis was a distinguished symbol of humanity, leaving no effort spared in serving the message of humanity. The relationship between Al-Azhar and the Vatican developed during his papacy; starting with his attendance at the Al-Azhar International Peace Conference in 2017, to the signing of the historic Document on Human Fraternity in 2019, which would not have come to the world without sincere intentions, despite the challenges and difficulties surrounding it, along with other meetings and joint projects that significantly expanded over the past years, contributing to advancing Islamic-Christian dialogue.”
Ahmed Al-Tayeb mentioned Pope Francis’s commitment to “strengthening relations with Al-Azhar and the Islamic world through his visits to many Islamic and Arab countries, and through his views that demonstrated fairness and humanity, especially regarding the aggression on Gaza and resisting the abhorrent Islamophobia.”
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar extended his heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to the followers of the Catholic Church around the world, and to the family of the late Pope Francis.
