Pope Francis's legacy of peace and dialogue in the Middle East

Pope Francis, the first head of the Catholic Church from the Global South, died on Monday morning at the age of 88. His death was announced by Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell, ending a papacy that spanned 12 years and saw the pontiff become a global advocate for peace, interfaith dialogue, and the rights of the poor and displaced.

Having led the church since 2013, Pope Francis made a number of tours to the Middle East and North Africa, meeting the heads of other faith groups and frequently speaking out against war and political strife impacting the region.

The New Arab takes a look at some of these moments from the Pope's tenure.

A final call for regional peace

In his final Easter address made on Sunday, Pope Francis took the opportunity to call for regional peace in speaking about the situation in Palestine, as well as events in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

"I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible!" Francis began in his comments on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, where he highlighted the suffering of the people living in the region, condemned a rise in antisemitism and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation."

He also spoke of the place of Christians in Lebanon and Syria, which he said are undergoing a "delicate transition" following devastating wars that have upended the political establishment in both countries.

"They aspire to stability and participation in the life of their respective nations. I urge the whole Church to keep the Christians of the beloved Middle East in its thoughts and prayers.

"I also think in particular of the people of Yemen, who are experiencing one of the world's most serious and prolonged humanitarian crises because of war, and I invite all to find solutions through constructive dialogue," he added.

A focus on Gaza

Pope Francis has paid particular attention to Israel's continuing war on Gaza since its outbreak in October 2023.

He told CBS's '60 Minutes' in May 2024 that he calls Gaza's only Catholic church every day, with the Vatican later releasing a video of his call with the community in January this year.

He has condemned Israel's conduct of the war and described Israel's actions in Palestine, alongside Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as "failures of humanity… where the arrogance of the invader prevails over dialogue."

He further labelled Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza as war crimes, and in interviews published in Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World by Hernan Reyes Alcaide, he urged for an investigation into allegations of genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.

The allegations are currently being investigated at the International Court of Justice in a case brought by South Africa in late 2023. Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 50,000 people - mostly women and children - and laid waste to the enclave.

He also condemned the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw the taking of 250 people captive, calling it an "atrocious" act of "terrorism and extremism".

MENA tours and interfaith dialogue

Pope Francis has made several tours to the Middle East and North Africa during his tenure, using the opportunities to emphasise ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.

This includes Iraq in 2021, which saw him meet Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the leading Shia authority in the country, at his home in the holy city of Najaf.

During his trip paid a visit to Mosul, where he led a prayer for the "victims of war" outside the centuries-old Al-Tahera Church that was destroyed by Islamic State group (IS) militants.

He also led an interfaith service in the ancient site of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham according to the Bible, telling Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Iraq's Yazidi and Sabaean minorities: "Peace does not demand winners or losers, but rather brothers and sisters who, for all the misunderstandings and hurts of the past, are journeying from conflict to unity."

During his visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2014, Pope Francis prayed at the concrete West Bank barrier separating the territory from Israel and said during his visit: "The time has come to put an end to this situation which has become increasingly unacceptable." He also visited Jordan and Israel during the same tour.

In 2017, Pope Francis travelled to Egypt and attended a peace conference hosted in Cairo's Al-Azhar University, meeting Grand Imam Muhammad Ahmed al-Tayeb and Coptic Patriarch Pope Tawadros II, later hosting prayer services with the Patriarch.

His visit came following terrorist attacks against St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral on Palm Sunday that year, as well as St Peter and St Paul's Church, which was bombed in December 2016, both of which he visited.

He also visited other countries in the region, including Bahrain in 2022, the UAE and Morocco in 2019, Turkey in 2014, as well as Muslim-majority Albania, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Bosnia, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan.

Remarks on peace and dialogue

Pope Francis often makes remarks about the state of the world in speeches and addresses.

In comments made about Iran's nationwide arrest following the killing of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Jina Mini, Pope Francis condemned the issuance of death sentences in the country, which he said, "only fuels the thirst for vengeance."

He also offered prayers to the victims of Morocco's earthquake in 2023 and condemned the burning of a Quran in Sweden that same year.

Following the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, Pope Francis issued calls to end the violence in the country and invited prayers for "our Sudanese brothers and sisters."

During Lebanon's financial and political crisis that began in 2019, Pope Francis urged political leaders to "put aside your personal interests, look at the country and come to an agreement,2 and called for justice to be given to the victims of Beirut's 2020 port blast.

During his final easter speech, the pope called for peace in several countries, including Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and South Sudan, between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and in Myanmar.

He has also made comments on the plight of migrants and refugees throughout is tenure, which saw large refugee migrations from the Middle East to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.