Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan Fr. Rif'at Bader and members of staff convey heartfelt condolence on the passing away of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran. May his soul rest in peace.

Reacting to the passing away of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue and chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan Fr. Rif'at Bader said: "May the Lord Jesus bless his soul. We thank the Almighty God for the cultural and intellectual heritage as well as the human relations and friendship that he established among followers of religions. This makes us focus on what brings us together rather than on what separates us. This is reminiscent of what he said during his visit to Al-Azhar, Egypt, last year where he stated: "Dialogue is a gift and enrichment to humanity, while freezing or terminating the dialogue is a gift to violence and terrorism."

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran rests in the arms of Lord Jesus Christ... May Lord Jesus bless his soul.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue and chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, has passed away in the United States.

The cardinal was born in Bordeaux in April 1943. After completing classical studies at the “Michel Montaigne” High School of the French city, and after two years spent in the diocesan Major Seminary he was sent to Rome as a student of the Pontifical French Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he had completed his theological and philosophical studies, graduating in Philosophy and Theology.

Ordained priest on 20 September 1969, he had been parish vicar of St. Eulalia in Bordeaux and had begun to attend courses in Canon Law at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse. Called to Rome in 1973, he had attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (where the diplomatic staff of the Holy See is trained) and the Pontifical Gregorian University, graduating in Canon Law.

In an interview in December 2017 he explained the position of the Holy See in favor of dialogue as follows: “We believe in it: after all, despite the positions that at times may seem distant, spaces of sincere dialogue must be promoted. Malgré tout, despite everything, we are truly convinced that it is possible to live together; as the Pope demonstrates, who every day reminds us the importance of mutual respect with the faithful of other traditions. And not only with Islam, but also with Buddhists, for example, as he did during his recent trip to Asia”.

O Cardinal Tauran,

May you rest in the arms of the Lord who formed you from the dust of the earth.

May Holy Mary, the angels and all the saints welcome you now that you have gone forth from this life.

May Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified for you, bring you freedom and peace.
May Christ who died for you admit you into his garden of paradise.

May Christ, the true Shepherd, embrace you as one of His flock.

May you see your Redeemer face to face, and enjoy the vision of God, forever. Amen