ROME: Pope Francis reached out in friendship to “so many Muslim brothers and sisters” during a procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism.
Francis, who became pope just over two weeks ago, chose, however, to stress Christians’ positive relations with Muslims in the region in his brief comments. Standing on a platform overlooking the procession route, Francis recalled Benedict XVI’s 2012 visit to Lebanon when “we saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters and so many others.”
“That occasion was a sign to the Middle East and to the whole world, a sign of hope,” he said.
The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio long cultivated warm relations with Muslim leaders in his native Argentina. In one of his first speeches as pope, he called for the church and the West to “intensify” ties with the Muslim world.
Pope refers to ‘Muslim brothers’
Pope refers to ‘Muslim brothers’
