Egypt Daily News – Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, announced in a statement on Monday morning the death of Pope Francis, the Pope of the Vatican.
Farrell said, “At 7:35 this morning, Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. He dedicated his entire life to the service of the Lord and his Church.”
The Pope had faced respiratory crises and received blood transfusions after tests showed a decline in his platelet levels, which are necessary for blood clotting.
At the time of the Pope’s health crisis, Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, sent a message to Pope Francis wishing him a speedy recovery.
In the text of his message, Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb said: “I pray to God to grant my dear brother Pope Francis a speedy recovery and to grant him health and wellness so he can continue his mission in the service of humanity.”
Both Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb and Pope Francis recognized their shared humanitarian role toward all of humanity. They both began their leadership at a time when the world was facing numerous problems, crises, and challenges both locally and globally. Between internal wars, refugee crises, terrorism, a lack of moral values in various fields, the disappearance of rational voices in political, economic, social, and media spheres, and the rise of radical right-wing rhetoric, the world found itself lost in the stormy sea, nearly threatening the values of humanity, according to Al-Azhar’s official website.
• Al-Azhar and the Vatican: Past Disagreements and Bridges of Reconciliation
Relations between the Catholic Church and the Islamic world became strained in September 2006 when Pope Benedict delivered a lecture at a German university in which he implied that “Islam tends toward violence and lacks rationality.”
At that time, Pope Benedict quoted a passage from a 14th-century dialogue between a Byzantine emperor and a Persian scholar. The emperor’s statement was: “Show me what Mohammed brought that is new, and you will only find things that are satanic and inhuman, such as his orders to spread faith by the sword.” Pope Benedict repeatedly expressed regret over the reaction to his speech but did not offer the clear apology that Muslims had requested at the time.
Al-Azhar and the Vatican resumed their joint dialogue in 2009 in an attempt to improve relations between the two religious institutions. However, tensions resurfaced in January 2011 after Pope Benedict XVI condemned the bombing of the Saint Mark’s Church in Alexandria and called for the protection of Christians in Egypt following the attack that resulted in 23 martyrs. Al-Azhar considered these statements an intervention in Egypt’s internal affairs, especially as they came within the context of what it described as the “repeated negative portrayal of Islam” by the previous Pope.
As a result, Al-Azhar announced the suspension of relations with the Vatican indefinitely, leading to a rupture that lasted for several years until Pope Francis took office in 2013. He sought to build new bridges of communication with Al-Azhar and strengthen relations between Muslims and Christians.
• The First Meeting… Building Bridges, Not Walls
In May 2016, a historic meeting was held in the Vatican between Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb and Pope Francis. This was the first official meeting between the head of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar after years of estrangement.
The meeting laid the foundation for a new phase of dialogue between Islam and Christianity. Both sides discussed ways to enhance world peace, combat religious extremism, and promote a culture of tolerance and coexistence among peoples.
Imam El-Tayeb was warmly received at the Vatican, and during the meeting, he emphasized that communication between Al-Azhar and the Vatican was crucial in addressing global crises. Pope Francis highlighted the importance of collaborating with Al-Azhar as a major Islamic reference, stating that the world needed to build bridges, not walls.
After the first historic meeting between Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb and Pope Francis in May 2016, their meetings continued to strengthen dialogue and promote global peace. On November 7, 2017, Pope Francis received Imam El-Tayeb at the papal residence in the Vatican, where they discussed ways to support peace and confront extremism and violence.
The meeting also addressed issues of sectarian conflicts, religious persecution, and racism, emphasizing the importance of spreading values of tolerance and mutual coexistence. Both sides agreed to promote civilizational dialogue between the East and the West, coordinating efforts between Al-Azhar and the Vatican to establish peace and protect people from violence and extremism.
Pope Francis expressed his admiration for Imam El-Tayeb and his intensive efforts to spread values of peace and love worldwide.
After the meeting, Pope Francis invited Imam El-Tayeb to lunch at his private residence, reflecting the deep relationship and mutual respect between the two religious leaders.
• Visit to Cairo
On April 28, 2017, Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, welcomed Pope Francis during his visit to Cairo at the headquarters of Al-Azhar.
• Human Fraternity
In February 2019, the United Arab Emirates hosted the World Conference on Human Fraternity organized by the Muslim Council of Elders, aimed at fostering dialogue on coexistence and brotherhood among humans and ways to enhance it globally. According to the leaders of the conference, the event aimed to address intellectual extremism and its negative effects, strengthen human relationships, and establish new foundations for these relationships among people of various religions and beliefs, based on respecting differences.
The conference coincided with the joint visit of Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and Pope Francis, the Pope of the Catholic Church, to the UAE.
The signing of the conference document was attended by over 400 religious leaders, representatives of various religions, and cultural and intellectual figures from around the world.
The document emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue as a means of promoting peace, rejecting all forms of violence and extremism practiced in the name of religion. It also called for respect for freedom of belief and thought, and reaffirmed the principle of equality among all people, regardless of religion, race, or gender.
The document included a commitment to protect the rights of women and children, support education and development, and promote social justice and solidarity among peoples.
The document gained global attention, and the United Nations adopted February 4 as World Human Fraternity Day, affirming its role in promoting a culture of dialogue and tolerance among religions.
