Rabat – King Mohammed VI has sent a message of condolence and sympathy to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals at the Vatican, following the passing of Pope Francis I.
Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday at 07:35 a.m. local time, a day after addressing crowds just yesterday on Easter Sunday. He had recently been discharged from hospital following weeks of treatment for an infection.
“We have learned with deep sorrow and great emotion of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis I. May God receive him with infinite mercy and forgiveness in His highest Kingdom,” reads the King’s message.
The monarch described the late pope as a distinguished religious leader who dedicated his life to promoting high human values such as peace, freedom, love, and solidarity.
He offered his sincere condolences to Cardinal Re and, through him, to the global Christian community and the Catholic Church in particular. He praised the late Pope’s strong commitment to protecting the environment and caring for humanity as a whole.
The King also remembered the Pope’s tireless efforts to fight poverty and social exclusion, as well as his defense of human dignity. He recalled Pope Francis I’s strong stance on migrant issues and his constant calls for peace, dialogue, and coexistence among followers of different religions.
The message also recalled the Pope’s historic visit to Morocco in March 2019, which strengthened the close ties between Morocco and the Vatican. The King noted that this important visit helped build stronger bridges of understanding and respect between the Muslim and Christian worlds.
During that visit, King Mohammed VI and Pope Francis signed the “Jerusalem Declaration,” which dictated the right of followers of the three Abrahamic religions to freely access the holy city and practice their religious rituals.
In closing, the King shared in the sorrow of the Christian community and prayed that God grant Pope Francis I eternal peace and bless those mourning his loss with patience and comfort. “We belong to God and to Him we shall return,” the message concluded.
Pope Francis’ passing has shocked the Vatican by and led to an outpouring of tributes from world leaders as well as Catholics be non-Catholics alike. The Vatican now prepares for his funeral and the election of a new pope.
