Rabat – King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his election as the new head of the Catholic Church.
In his message, the King expressed his congratulations and wishes for a successful papacy, saying he hopes the Pope’s leadership will bring good and benefit to Catholic communities and to humanity as a whole.
King Mohammed VI recalled the strong and historic relationship between Morocco and the Holy See, saying it is built on mutual respect, spiritual understanding, and a shared commitment to peace and coexistence.
As a land of religious tolerance and dialogue, Morocco continues to promote harmony among different peoples and cultures, he said.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the new pope on Thursday, following the death of Pope Francis. His election was confirmed when white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel chimney yesterday afternoon, signaling the conclave’s decision.
At 69, he became the first American pope in history. Born in Chicago, Prevost spent over two decades in Peru, where he served as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo.
In his letter, the King recalled the special ties between Morocco and the Vatican, noting the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Morocco in August 1985, at the invitation of his late father, King Hassan II.
He also mentioned the visit of Pope Francis to Rabat in March 2019, which was warmly welcomed by the Moroccan people. During the visit, Pope Francis and King Mohammed VI signed a joint appeal for Jerusalem, calling it a symbol of peaceful coexistence and shared heritage for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
“These meetings between the King of Morocco, as Commander of the Faithful, and the head of the Catholic Church represent a highly symbolic event, and strongly and clearly affirm their shared will to build bridges of brotherhood between people, and to establish interfaith dialogue as a strong fortress against all forms of extremism and isolation,” reads the letter.
The King also reaffirmed his personal commitment to continuing the special relationship between Morocco and the Vatican during the new Pope’s leadership, and to deepening Muslim-Christian dialogue based on shared human values and teachings of the monotheistic religions.
