Among many things, the late Pope Francis will be remembered for his interfaith work beyond the Vatican’s walls.
When he visited Abu Dhabi in 2019, Pope Francis held the first-ever Papal Mass in the UAE, home to around one million Catholics, in turn leading a landmark interfaith conference organised by the Muslim Council of Elders.
The late Pope's visit was not just monumental in content, but destination; it was the first official visit by a pontiff to the Arabian Peninsula.
Here, he signed a historic declaration of human fraternity with his Muslim counterpart, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb.
Significance: The Document on Human Fraternity
The Document on Human Fraternity draws on teachings common to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other faiths.
Principles such as freedom, justice, and the rights of women to education and employment, as well as the dignity of elders, and the potential of youth, are fundamental to the Document.
The Document also compellingly calls for the denouncement of terrorism, the strengthening of 'East–West' relations, and, above all, a renewed commitment to human fraternity and interfaith dialogue.
It remains the most prominent manifestation of interfaith understanding on the global stage, echoing the late Pope’s major writings, Evangelii Gaudium and Fratelli Tutti , both of which preach inclusion and solidarity.
Pope Francis himself described the Document as having been “made in the spirit of Vatican II” – the most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that affirmed the right to religious freedom.
Snowball Effect: A Push for Human Fraternity in the UAE
In the years since its signing, the Document led to the establishment of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.
The Committee was created to realise the Document’s ideals and vision.
It also inspired the UAE to build a one-of-a-kind landmark in the Middle East – the Abrahamic Family House, housing a mosque, church, and synagogue – manifesting the Document’s Abrahamic spirit quite literally.
Inter-Faith Diplomacy: International and National Recognition
In 2024, on the fifth anniversary of its signing, the Abrahamic Family House hosted the inaugural Majlis of Human Fraternity, attended by heads of state.
This inaugural Majlis of Human Fraternity included the state of Timor-Leste, which is the first country in the world to pledge to adopt the Document.
The United Nations designated the 4th of February, the day of the Document’s signing, as the International Day of Human Fraternity.
By 2020, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity was launched, celebrating individuals that have truly embodied the ideals and humanitarian essence of the Document through their respective agency, with Pope Francis and António Guterres among its first honourees.
Later recipients included Mama Shamsa, who saved the lives of more than 10,000 youths in Kenya, and Heman Bekele, an Ethiopian American, who developed a remarkable soap prototype designed to fight cancer.
Interfaith Diplomacy with the Gulf
The Pope was deeply engaged with the youth.
It is no surprise that the Document both recognises and inspires global efforts to unite youth in the pursuit of more harmonious societies.
Initiatives such as the Emerging Peacemakers Forum and the Human Fraternity Fellowship were brought to life by Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
Like-minded organisations also championed the Document, including the World Council of Churches to the Rose Castle Foundation.
Pope Francis leaves behind a ongoing commitment to unity, peace, and human development through his unwavering commitment to human fraternity, interfaith dialogue, and global solidarity.
A Enduring Legacy Beyond Borders
The late Pope’s inter-faith diplomacy, transcended borders.
Pope Francis often worked with likeminded statesmen and women to establish the foundations of unity, peace, and human development as a prime alternative, remedy, and antidote to violence, indignity, and persecution across the world.
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