Doha – Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died this morning at the age of 88, the Vatican announced. “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement.
The pontiff passed away at 7:35 a.m. (5:35 GMT), just weeks after battling double pneumonia and only a day after making an Easter Sunday appearance where he greeted crowds from his popemobile in St. Peter’s Square.
His death brings to mind his groundbreaking trip to Morocco on March 30-31, 2019 – a 27-hour visit that left a lasting imprint on Moroccan-Vatican relations and showcased the country’s centuries-old approach to religious coexistence.
Christianity has deep historical roots in Morocco, dating back to Roman times. The ancient city of Volubilis became Christian in the early centuries CE through merchants, military personnel, and imperial administrators.
Some evangelization attempts continued through the centuries, including Franciscan missionaries who were martyred in Marrakech in 1220.
While Islam became the predominant faith after the Arab conquest, Christianity maintained a quiet presence. The Cathedral of Saint Peter in Rabat opened in 1921 in art deco style, while Tanger’s Cathedral of the Assumption was built in 1961, five years after independence – concrete testimony to Morocco’s religious openness.
Today, Morocco’s Catholic community numbers approximately 23,000 faithful, representing a tiny minority in a country that is 99% Muslim.
Morocco and the Vatican established diplomatic ties in 1976. This led to King Hassan II’s landmark 1980 Vatican visit – the first by a Muslim head of state to Pope John Paul II. The pope reciprocated in 1985, addressing Muslim youth in Casablanca stadium – an unprecedented event in the Muslim world.
The ‘Servant of Hope’
Pope Francis’s 2019 Morocco trip, themed “Servant of Hope,” packed numerous symbolic exchanges into less than 30 hours. Cardinal Cristóbal Lopez Romero, Archbishop of Rabat, called it “an extraordinary event for us Christians, for the Moroccan people, and for His Majesty.”
Rain poured during the welcome ceremony at Hassan Tower esplanade – viewed by many Moroccans as divine blessing for the harvest. King Mohammed VI personally welcomed the Pope, noting the visit coincided with Rajab, an Islamic holy month.
“During this Sacred period, Islam and Christianity experienced one of their most emblematic historical episodes: on Prophet Mohammed’s order, Muslims escaping persecution left Mecca and found sanctuary with the Negus, Abyssinia’s Christian King,” the King told the crowd. “This act of mutual recognition, recorded for posterity, is what we commemorate today.”
In his address, King Mohammed VI stressed his role as protector of all believers: “As Commander of the Faithful, I cannot speak of the Land of Islam as if only Muslims lived there. I effectively ensure the free practice of religions of the Book and guarantee it. I protect Moroccan Jews and Christians from other countries living in Morocco.”
Al Quds Declaration: A call for peace
The visit produced an unexpected joint declaration on Jerusalem between King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis. Neither delegation had revealed this plan beforehand.
Their “Jerusalem Appeal” called for preserving the holy city “as common heritage of humanity and, especially for faithful of the three monotheistic religions, as a meeting place and symbol of peaceful coexistence.”
Both leaders demanded guarantees for “full freedom of access for the faithful of the three monotheistic religions and the right of each to practice their worship” in Jerusalem.
Pope Francis later characterized this statement as “a step forward” made by “believing brothers who suffer seeing that this city of hope isn’t yet as universal as we all want.”
This joint declaration was particularly significant coming from the King, who chairs the Al Quds Committee created by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to safeguard Jerusalem’s religious, cultural and architectural heritage.
Pope Francis himself has not shied away from condemning the bloodshed in Gaza, issuing repeated calls for a ceasefire and denouncing the suffering inflicted on civilians.
Education, migration, and interfaith dialogue
The King and Pope shared concerns about religious extremism but focused on solutions beyond security measures. “To face radicalism, the answer isn’t military or budgetary; it has one name: Education,” King Mohammed VI told attendees. “What all terrorists share isn’t religion but precisely ignorance of religion.”
At Rabat’s Caritas center for migrants, Pope Francis pushed back against anti-immigrant rhetoric. He called migration “a wound that cries out to heaven” and insisted that “raising barriers, stoking fear of others, or denying assistance” would never resolve the issue.
There, he outlined his four-verb framework for addressing migration: “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.”
The Pope emphasized that migrants themselves “should feel the first protagonists and managers in this process,” adding that “assistance alone is insufficient” without empowering migrants to shape their own futures.
The following day, Pope Francis made a private visit to a rural social services center in Temara, about 20 kilometers south of Rabat. Run by Spanish Daughters of Charity, this center offers free medical services and embodies the Pope’s vision of practical interfaith cooperation through service to those in need.
The Pope also toured the Mohammed VI Institute for Imam Training, which educates religious leaders from across Africa and Europe.
There, he witnessed a remarkable interfaith musical performance: the Islamic call to prayer, the Christian Ave Maria, and the Jewish Adonai sung together, accompanied by Morocco’s Philharmonic Orchestra.
Message to Morocco’s Catholics: No proselytism
Meeting with Catholics at Rabat’s Cathedral, Pope Francis gave clear instructions about their role in Moroccan society: “The paths of mission don’t pass through proselytism. Please, they don’t pass through proselytism!” he stated firmly. “Remember Benedict XVI: ‘The Church doesn’t grow through proselytism but through attraction, through testimony.’”
The Pope’s repeated admonition against proselytism was particularly noteworthy, as active proselytism to Moroccan Muslims can be punishable by up to three years in prison under Moroccan law. Instead of seeking converts, Francis encouraged Catholics to serve society through good works.
Instead, he urged Christians to become “living sacraments of the dialogue that God wants with every man and woman.” He pointed to Saint Francis of Assisi, who met Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil during the Crusades, and Blessed Charles de Foucault, who lived among North African Muslims.
Before his address, Francis embraced 94-year-old Brother Jean-Pierre Schumacher, the last survivor of the Tibhirine monastery in Algeria where seven monks were killed in 1996. The monk lived at Notre-Dame de l’Atlas monastery in Midelt, Morocco. The Pope also honored Sister Ersilia, 97, a Franciscan missionary who had served in Casablanca for 80 years.
Mass broadcasts live on Moroccan TV
The visit culminated with a Sunday Mass at Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex in Rabat. About 10,000 people attended – Catholics from Tangier and Rabat dioceses alongside Muslim Moroccans. For the first time since Morocco’s 1956 independence, such a large Catholic gathering took place, broadcast live on Moroccan television.
Today’s Catholic Church in Morocco looks dramatically different than pre-2000. The community now consists largely of young, vibrant sub-Saharan African faithful. During his homily, Pope Francis spoke about the parable of the prodigal son and called for forgiveness and reconciliation.
“Experience tells us that hatred, division and revenge only succeed in killing our people’s soul, poisoning our children’s hopes, and destroying everything we cherish,” he told the congregation.
His final words encouraged Catholics to “persevere on the path of dialogue between Christians and Muslims” and become “servants of the hope that this world needs.”
Six years later, as news of Pope Francis’s death reverberates globally, his Morocco visit stands as a testament to what interfaith dialogue can achieve when religious leaders choose cooperation over division.
Speaking to Le360 earlier this month, Cardinal Cristóbal Lopez Romero reflected: “This visit strengthened the good relationship between the Vatican authorities and those of Morocco, between the Moroccan people and the Christian people. This visit was beneficial for the whole world.”
Days after his return to the Vatican in 2019, Pope Francis himself remarked with reverence: “It was a joy and honor to visit the noble Kingdom of Morocco.”
“King Mohammed and I reiterated the essential role religions have in defending human dignity, promoting peace and justice, and caring for our common home. With Muslims, we are descendants of the same father, Abraham,” he continued.
In May 2022, during a reception for Moroccan advisor Andre Azoulay at the Vatican, the Catholic Church’s highest authority hailed “the spiritual leadership and prayers of King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful” as “precious to us.”
Read also: Analyst: Moroccan Government Has Never Persecuted Christians
