Ayatollah Khamenei’s Message Conveyed to Pope
Director of Islamic Seminaries Ayatollah Alireza Arafi met with the head of the Catholic Church in the Vatican on Tuesday.
He conveyed the oral message from the Leader and his greetings to the Pope during the meeting.
Ayatollah Arafi said Ayatollah Khamenei lauds the Pope’s stances on promotion of relations between Islam and Christianity and those in defense of the oppressed.
In the message, the Leader also called on the Pontiff to continue his efforts in defending the oppressed, especially the people of Palestine and Yemen, according to Ayatollah Arafi.
“The Leader of the Islamic Revolution expects that measures be taken in defense of the Palestinian people and (the issue of Palestine) be resolved via people’s votes and an election (with the participation of) genuine people (of Palestine) and Palestinians of all faiths,” he said.
The cleric further cited statements from a number of Iranian Maraji (sources of emulation), in which they have emphasized the need for enhancement of religious cooperation.
He said Iran’s Islamic seminaries have reiterated the importance of interfaith dialogue and formation of a front of monotheistic religions.
“We are prepared for dialogue and founding a joint monotheistic front… and
Referring to the problems the human society is facing today, he said these problems mainly stem from the weakness in philosophical and cognitive foundations of contemporary man in the fields of theology.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Arafi hailed the talks between Iran and the Vatican and called for their continuation.
The Pope, for his part, welcomed the cleric and said he has special respect for Iran for several reasons, including its historical and long-standing civilization, and the existence of a religious government in the country, which is unique in the world.
He sent greetings to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and religious figures in Iran and said he agrees with what Ayatollah Khamenei has said.
The head of the Catholic Church also said aggression by the arrogant powers on people in different parts of the world is condemned, adding that the world should be invited to peace, calm and avoiding aggression and injustice.
Ayatollah Arafi is visiting Vatican and Italy upon the official invitation of scholarly centers of the country.
Earlier, in two separate letters, prominent Shia clerics Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi and Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani had welcomed the trip, calling on Arafi to explore ways to expand cooperation with the Vatican in various fields of mutual interest.
