The Interfaith Legacy of Pope Francis

Pope Francis being greeted by Nasaruddin Umar, the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo from Daniel Ibañez / Catholic News Agency.

Interfaith Photovoice celebrates the life of Pope Francis and mourns his passing along with our Catholic friends and colleagues. Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope and the first person from the global south to ever hold the office — an accolade reflective of his ministry and care for the marginalized and people from all of the far flung corners of the world. He was also an incredible champion of interfaith work and dialogue. 

He taught that the world is better when we build bridges with each other rather than wedging divides between one another, and his life reflects his teachings. He was the first pope to visit the Arabian peninsula, in 2019, and he helped build many bridges with the Muslim world throughout his papacy. The 2019 document Human Fraternity he co-signed with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, is one of the most significant declarations ever regarding the Church’s commitment to multi-faith engagement and dialogue: “This Declaration may be a sign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South, and between all who believe that God has created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another.” 

He also worked to build closer relations and cooperation with leaders and organizations from religious traditions. On the occasion of his death, NBC4 Washington reporter Aimee Cho spoke with Muslim and Jewish organizations in D.C. about the legacy of the pontiff and how they would remember him.

With this mandate for love and respect came a mission to combat hate of all stripes. When a 1994 terrorist attack in Buenos Aires against the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA in Spanish acronym) left 85 dead, the name “[Jorge] Bergoglio was the first signatory of the manifesto ‘AMIA, 85 lives, 85 signatures,’ a document based on the demand for ‘a country without impunity, with a better justice system, with education and health care for all, without discrimination or exclusion, and that we may preserve the memory of the things that were done wrong so as not to repeat them.’”