Rabbi Skorka, Muslim theologian pay tribute to Pope Francis

April 21, 2026

Writing in the Vatican newspaper, an Argentine rabbi and an Iranian-born Muslim theologian paid tribute to Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death.

“Our dialogue was never, in any way, restricted or limited. It remained fluid—whether in person in Rome or through a continuous exchange of letters,” said Rabbi Abraham Skorka. “We did not always agree on various subjects, yet this never weakened our loyalty or our fraternal bond.”

Rabbi Skorka added:

During the dark days of the war between Hamas and Israel, our conversations touched upon very sensitive topics. We always listened with attention and respect to one another’s arguments. He harbored a very special affection for the Jewish people. He demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the fight against antisemitism. In the face of expressions of hatred against Jews—whether in Argentina or elsewhere in the world—his reaction was always immediate and vigorous.

“Pope Francis did not merely speak about the Gospel; he made it flesh and action, transforming the Petrine ministry into a universal embrace that knows no borders, customs barriers, or prejudices,” said Shahrzad Houshmand Zadeh, an Iranian Muslim theologian who lives in Rome and has been described as “Francis’ Muslim daughter.”

She added:

His is a path that continues to carve out furrows of hope. A magisterium composed of gestures that are worth more than a thousand treatises—one that makes him not only the Vicar of Christ, but a moral beacon for the entire human family. On this anniversary, his testimony stands as an invitation never to avert our gaze from the least among us, walking together toward that horizon of peace which he, tirelessly, continues to point out to us.

 

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Further information:

• Bergoglio nella storia (L'Osservatore Romano, 4/20/26)
• Un’orma di luce nel cuore del mondo (L'Osservatore Romano, 4/20/26)