The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, expressed profound sorrow at the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the Supreme Pontiff of the Vatican and leader of the Catholic Church. In his statement, he paid tribute to the late Pope as a singular moral voice for humanity and conscience—principles that many in today’s world have forsaken.
In a statement issued by the General Secretariat, the Pope’s principled and courageous stances in support of peace, coexistence, and interfaith harmony were lauded as exemplary, embodying the essence of religious tolerance and stressing the indispensable role of spiritual leadership in uniting peoples.
The statement particularly recalled His Holiness’s final Easter message, in which he poignantly turned his thoughts to the suffering of the people in Gaza, “where the terrible conflict continues to generate death and destruction and cause a horrific and shameful humanitarian situation.” The Pope had called for an immediate ceasefire and for urgent humanitarian assistance to be delivered to a population "starving and yearning for a peaceful future."
The General Secretariat said that throughout his tenure, Pope Francis consistently championed the universal values of compassion and justice, irrespective of faith or nationality. His unwavering stance on the Palestinian cause remained morally resolute, and his empathy for the people of Gaza was evident in the hundreds of direct calls he made in recent months to express solidarity with those enduring relentless Israeli aggression.
The statement further affirmed that the Pope's voice in condemning the atrocities committed against civilians in Gaza remained clear and courageous until his final days. He never faltered in aligning himself with the tenets of the divine religions, which uphold peace and denounce oppression, even as he faced orchestrated campaigns of defamation by Israel and others seeking to suppress voices of truth and accountability.
Finally, the General Secretariat praised the Pope’s enduring commitment to the plight of refugees, regardless of their religion or origin, noting that his defence of their dignity in the face of conflict and persecution served as a beacon of moral clarity and a source of inspiration to countless people across the globe.
