We join the rest of the world in mourning the death of Pope Francis, whose efforts on behalf of interreligious understanding were an inspiration to us all.
In choosing his name, Pope Francis sought to reclaim for the church the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi—the beloved medieval saint known for his simple joy, his care for the poor, his delight in God’s creation, and his desire for peace among all people. Indeed, this desire for peace led St. Francis to cross the crusaders’ battle lines to meet with Sultan Malik-el-Kamil in the hope of spreading God’s love and bringing an end to the violence. The courage and humility of the saint so impressed the sultan that the two men spent several days in spiritual conversation—an early attempt at interreligious understanding.
Among his many gifts to the church and the world, Pope Francis was a forthright and fearless advocate of interfaith encounter. As was his way, Pope Francis led by example. In the, he met with Israel’s chief rabbis, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and the Ecumenical Patriarch. At, he prayed silently for the victims of the Shoah, and, throughout his papacy, he condemned antisemitism and intolerance. He was the first pope to visit the, meeting with both Sunni and Shia Muslim leaders in order to promote dialogue, fraternity, and peace. His many always included an interfaith dimension, fostering respect and mutual understanding in meetings with Buddhists, Hindus, and members of indigenous communities. He committed the Catholic Church to working toward a future of greater harmony and common cause among religious believers, signing on to the, the, and the of the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions—signaling his continual desire for collaboration and shared purpose.
For Pope Francis, interfaith understanding was first and foremost an opportunity to meet another human being, another child of God. For Francis, true understanding came through personal encounter and was sustained in personal relationships. At the end of his life, Pope Francis counted among his companions both old friends, like Rabbi Abraham Skorka, with whom he collaborated for many years, and new friends, like Sheikh Al-Tayyeb, to whom the pope dedicated his remarkable encyclical, on social friendship.
May the example of Pope Francis continue to inspire our own work.
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The Executive Committee
Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding at Â鶹Éç
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