The Office of the supreme religious authority, Sayed Ali al-Sistani, offers his condolences on the death of Pope Francis

The Office of the supreme religious authority, Sayed Ali al-Hussayni al-Sistani, on Monday offered condolences on the death of Pope Francis.

The text of the statement reads:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

His Beatitude Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of the Vatican metropolis
Greetings, respect and after:
It is with deep regret that we have received the news of the passing away of the great pontiff, Pope Francis, the pope of the Vatican, who was held in high spiritual esteem by many peoples of the Earth and highly respected by all, for his outstanding role in serving the causes of peace and tolerance, and showing solidarity with the oppressed and persecuted around the world.

The historic meeting that he held with the supreme religious authority in Najaf was a very important stop for the parties to emphasize the fundamental role of faith in Almighty Allah and his messages and commitment to high moral values in overcoming the great challenges faced by humanity in this era, and the need for concerted efforts to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence and renounce violence and hatred, and to establish the values of harmony between people based on the care of rights and mutual respect between adherents of different religions and intellectual trends.

The supreme religious authority, while offering its condolences to the followers of the Catholic Church in the world with this painful affliction, wishes them patience and fortitude and prays to the Almighty Allah to be kind to them and to all mankind in a manner befitting his vast mercy of goodness, blessing and peace.