Farewell to His Holiness Pope Francis I... Pope of the Poor and Voice of Dialogue

Dr. Alaa Mahmoud Al-Tamimi - April 21, 2025

With feelings of sadness, the world was shocked this morning by the passing of the Pope of the Poor, His Holiness Pope Francis I. He was not just a religious figure, but a living conscience in a world exhausted by wars, where silence has drowned out the voice of suffering.

As an Arab Muslim, I belong to a heritage that calls for understanding, not discord, for dialogue, not estrangement. I found the Supreme Pontiff to be a man worthy of respect and appreciation. He broke down barriers and built bridges between religions, not with slogans, but with courageous steps and humane stances.

Pope Francis I engaged in dialogue with influential Islamic religious leaders. His historic visit to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Cairo in 2017 remains engraved in memory. Standing alongside the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, at the World Peace Conference, he spoke words brimming with wisdom: “Religions are called to build peace, not to justify violence.” He carried with him, as he does on every occasion, the light of dialogue and the spirit of reconciliation.

I will never forget his historic visit to Iraq in 2021, when he came to Ur, the cradle of Abraham, to deliver the common message of monotheism from a land that was the first to preach it. Nor will I forget his meeting with Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, the highest Shiite authority in Najaf, an image that has etched in our consciousness the meaning of humility and, above all, the search for common humanity.

Even in his final days, he did not cease his message. His speech yesterday, on Easter, was a cry from the heart of an old man who still carried the concerns of the world: "Ceasefire in Gaza." It was not a diplomatic compliment, but a sincere plea from a man who knew that innocent blood has no religion, and that children do not understand why bombs fall.

Farewell, Pope, the human being. You will live on in the hearts of the poor you loved, and in the memory of all who believed that dialogue is possible, and that interfaith encounter is not a fantasy, but a noble human choice.

May God have mercy on you for what you have given...and peace be upon your soul.