Farewell to Pope Francis, the grand pilgrim of hope

It is no coincidence that Pope Francis departed this life the day after the noble Feast of the Resurrection (Easter). The stand he has made represented the recommendations and the wishes he wanted to fulfill before his passing away, as if he were forwarding them to his successor. In his Easter homily and the blessing he conveyed to the city of Rome and to the world, he spoke of his pain not just physical pain, but rather moral pain. It implies that there are issues that continue to plague humanity, most importantly war, violence, and the killing of human beings by others. Furthermore, Pope Francis called for the attainment of a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine. He also called for implementing a ceasefire in Gaza, namely the suffering of Gaza Strip that has been the focus of much of his concern, thoughts, and continuous communication with the Church of the Holy Family. At a time when he calls for caring for the Christians of the East and the Christians of Gaza, he also calls for respecting for the magnificent and historical image of the Middle East in its capacity as embracing plurality and respecting all religious communities.

Pope Francis leaves us today with a clear conscience, of course, but with a heart pained by numerous matters that he never came true during his earthly life. As believers, we say that he will continue his prayers for the people of the Earth so that all these wishes may be fulfilled. Let us not forget that over the course of 12 years, Pope Francis has merged his papacy with several foundations upon which he built this impressive, humble, and influential presence in the hearts and consciences of many of the world's inhabitants, particularly in the countries he visited, where he sowed the seeds of goodness, love, brotherhood, and human fraternity. Human fraternity was definitely the subject and title of the historic "Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" he signed with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayeb in 2019, when he renewed cooperation and constant readiness for Muslims and Christians to effect cooperation, solidarity, and convergence in the service of humanity and brotherhood among all peoples.

In this regard, we also recall the visits made by Pope Francis to our Arab countries, among several historic visits he made. He visited the Holy Land marking a historic pilgrimage in 2014, beginning with a meeting in Jordan with His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, a Holy Mass at the Amman Stadium attended by large masses of people, and a prayer for peace at the Baptism Site. He also visited Palestine, prayed in Jerusalem, prayed in Bethlehem, and wept at the separation wall in Bethlehem. During his visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque, he prayed for the elimination of extremism between brethren. We also recall his visit to fraternal Iraq and the hope he instilled there, his visit to the UAE and the signing of the "Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together", visit to Bahrain, his visit to fraternal Egypt and the signing of a cooperation and fraternity agreement with the Coptic Orthodox Church, and his historic visit to Morocco.

We plead with God that Pope Francis' historic legacy will continue, and that the Catholic Church will complete the reforms undertaken by Pope Francis, so as to always remain at the service of the entire humanity. Furthermore, we plead with the Almighty God to have the rulers and those in political positions, especially those who determine the destinies of peoples, to heed the Pope's repeated calls, as well as to strive to establish and sustain peace, especially in Gaza, Palestine, as well as in Ukraine and Sudan. O humanity, do not forget the commandments that Pope Francis conveyed in his final appearance to humanity before his passing to the heavenly kingdom.

May your soul rest in peace, Pope Francis...