Baghdad – Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the highest religious authority in Iraq’s Shiite community, extended heartfelt condolences following the passing of Pope Francis. He praised the late pontiff’s dedication to promoting peace, tolerance, and solidarity with the oppressed.
In a statement from his office, Al-Sistani reflected on the significance of their 2021 meeting during Pope Francis’s historic visit to Iraq — the first by a pontiff. He described it as a pivotal moment for strengthening interfaith dialogue and rejecting violence and hatred.
Pope Francis’s visit, which included a stop in Mosul despite security concerns, highlighted his commitment to Iraq’s Christian community. There, he prayed among the ruins of churches destroyed by conflict and called on Christians to remain in their homeland.
The Pope’s efforts were widely acknowledged across Iraq. The Archbishop of the Syriac Catholic Church in Mosul called for church bells to ring in his memory, while Iraq’s Prime Minister honored Francis’s legacy as one centered on compassion, unity, and the defense of humanity.
This moment of mourning also serves as a reminder of the bridges Pope Francis built between faiths and communities in some of the world’s most fragile regions.
