Azhar Grand Imam greets Popes Tawadros, Francis, Archbishop Welby, Patriarch Bartholomew on Christmas

 

CAIRO - 30 December 2021: Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb congratulated Pope Francis of Vatican and Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria on Christmas.

 

He also extended greetings to Archbishop Justin Welby and Patriarch Bartholomew.

 

"My sincere congratulations to my friends; Pope Francis, Pope Tawadros, Archbishop Justin Welby, Patriarch Bartholomew I as well as to all Christians around the world on the occasion of Christmas," Tayyeb said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

 

"I pray that the Almighty continues to bless us with peace, love and fraternity, while sparing the world from hatred and war," he added.

 

Earlier this month, Tayyeb held a meeting with Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

 

Tayeb said Al-Azhar relations with the Vatican remain a model for spreading peace and tolerance and countering extremism, hate, wars, and conflicts.

He added that the world will not be stabilized by the economy of weapons that is based on igniting strife and wars and killing people. Instead, the world urgently requires the values of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence.

In February 2019, Pope Francis and Tayyeb signed the Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in Abu Dhabi to enhance coexistence among religions.