Pope Francis – ‘a unifier and a messenger of peace’

As a former United Kingdom Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, during 2019-2020, I worked with international partners around the world, in advancing Religious Freedom for all, that included working with the Vatican. It was an immense honour to be at the Vatican as part of the HRH Prince of Wales (now King Charles) delegation for the canonisation of John Henry Newman – a great British theologian with global impact.

As I reflect on the life of Pope Francis, I recall the words of John Henry Newman who’s message emphasises the importance of spiritual and intellectual growth – “God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another”. 

As part of my visit, I joined our Ambassador to the Vatican Sally Axworthy in meeting pilgrims from around the world, arriving at St Peter’s Square, to see Pope Francis, who was a people’s Pope, through the values he embodied, of compassion, humility and kindness.  The service was conducted by Pope Francis. That is the closet I got to meeting Pope Francis, although I regularly engaged with his Foreign Minister Archbishop Gallagher.

I feel Pope Francis brought people together for the common good and the steps he took with regard to inter-faith in bringing people together through reconciliation and compassion demonstrate that very well. His visit in 2019 to UAE which culminated in the signing of the Human Fraternity Document, with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Mosque in Egypt.  The document called for greater understanding and solidarity, between religions, and promoted peace and tolerance.  The visit powerfully symbolised interfaith dialogue and aimed to build bridges, between Christianity and Islam.

This followed further visits, to Muslim majority countries, to engage on interfaith dialogue, bringing people together for the common good, in 2021 the Pope visited Iraq and met with the Grand Ayatollah Sistani covering co-existance and tolerance amongst different faiths to a country that has been devasted by years of sectarian bloodshed and war.  In 2022 the Pope visited Bahrain at the invitation of HM King Hamed to speak at the “Bahrain Dialogue East and West for human co-existence”. 

Bahrain was the first country I visited as the UK Envoy, noting its strong track record of co-existence, with churches, mosques, a temple, and a synagogue all standing in close proximity of one another.  A visit to Indonesia in 2024, provided  further commitment to furthering Christian Muslim fraternal engagement. 

Pope Francis, was also at the forefront of international efforts, to tackle climate change. In 2021 ahead of the COP 2026 Pope Francis had said climate change and Covid-19 pandemic had exposed deep vulnerability and raised numerous doubts, and concerns, about our economic systems, and the way we organise our societies. In October 2021 Pope Francis brought together world faith leaders and scientists at the Vatican to issue a joint appeal ahead of COP26.   

Pope Francis led international efforts to bring peace in Sudan. In 2019 the Pope knelt down and kissed the feet of South Sudan’s rival leaders in a symbolic gesture of Peace.  

The Pope was a man of great humility, whose acts went above and beyond to find peace.  The leadership of Pope Francis, working with international partners UK, USA, the Church of England, led Sudan to change its apostasy Law, and wider reforms allowing religious freedom.

In today’s world driven by conflict and intolerance, the values of Pope Francis such as social justice, principles like equity, participation, diversity, humility and human rights are an example to us all in building a better world, based on compassion, kindness and forgiveness for our fellow citizens.