Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb mourns Pope Francis

CAIRO – 21 April 2025: Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayyeb mourned Pope Francis of the Vatican, who died on Monday at the age of 88.

In a statement, Al-Azhar imam said Pope Francis was a symbol of humanity, as he dedicated his life to champion the causes of the vulnerable and promote dialogue between different religions and cultures.

Tayyeb highlighted the significant development in relations between Al-Azhar and the Vatican in the era of the late leader of the Roman Catholic Church, as the Argentine pontiff took part in Al-Azhar International Peace Conference in 2017 and put his signature to the Human Fraternity Document for World Peace and Living Together.

Al-Azhar imam noted that the Vatican pope had been keen to enhance relationship with Al-Azhar and the Islamic world, through his visits to several Muslim and Arab countries, as well as his fair and humanistic views, especially with regard to condemning the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and confronting abhorrent Islamophobia.

Tayyeb extended his sincere condolences to followers of the Catholic Church around the world and to the pontiff's family.