Remembering Pope Francis: A legacy of interreligious dialogue and hope

As the World Council of Churches continues to pay tribute to the unique contribution of Pope Francis to the Christian world, particular attention is given to the interreligious dimension of his leadership – a legacy of dialogue, mutual recognition, and bridge-building across faiths.

Pope Francis will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to encounter and dialogue in a world often divided by fear, conflict, and suspicion. From the earliest days of his pontificate, he engaged courageously with religious leaders from diverse traditions, advocating for a shared ethical commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity. 

“He regarded interreligious dialogue as a sacred act as well as an encounter with the sacred mystery. He invited the followers of different religious traditions to go back to their respective religious classics and centuries of experiences and wisdoms to reawaken their respective spiritualities and eventually to innovate reform movements to alter how we perceive, think and conceive the other as well as the planet,” said Mons. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku K., secretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican. “It was from his deep identity – being grounded in a living faith in Christ –  his dialogue began. He underlined that true openness involved remaining steadfast in one’s deepest convictions, clear and joyful in one’s own identity, while at the same time being open to walk and work together with the other.“, he adds. 

Pope Francis’s participation in the historic Human Fraternity meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2019, alongside Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb, and the cosigning of the Declaration on Human Fraternity, marked a turning point in modern interfaith relations. The document called for global fraternity, respect for religious diversity, and rejection of extremism. It has since inspired countless initiatives across civil society, academia, and faith-based communities.

Pope Francis’s message was never limited to symbolic gestures. He proposes the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) as a model of responding to the challenges of our times who interrupting his journey, changed his plans, and unexpectedly came to the aid of an injured person who needed his help. He further noted that in the story of the Good Samaritan what is constantly being repeated and emphasized is the importance of dialogue with all to heal the wounded humanity and the earth. 

His teachings on fraternity, care for creation, and compassion for the marginalized resonated deeply with Christians, brothers and sisters of other religious traditions and people of good will. He invited all to assume a prophetic attitude, to express deep concepts through simple words and phrases, to put aside all intellectual sophistications, and to speak to everyone. His pastoral presence at global hotspots and his insistence on the human face of migration, climate injustice, and poverty challenged religious leaders to act together in solidarity. 

His involvement in ecumenical events – including the 2016 commemoration of the Reformation in Lund – served as a reminder that reconciliation within Christianity also paves the way for broader religious cooperation. But it was in his consistent outreach to Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Indigenous communities that his deep interreligious vocation was most powerfully felt. 

“Pope Francis was proposing an alternative social model to address the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth based on a ‘revolution of tenderness’ which provides the followers of different religious traditions and all people of goodwill with a common platform to collaborate for the common good. Therefore, his ‘dialogue of mercy’ paved the way for ‘dialogue of action’ and ‘dialogue of action’ lead to ‘dialogue of hope,’ “Mons. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku K. continues. “He also insisted that dialogue table must include all, not limiting merely to a few leaders of religious communities, but must also extend as far as possible to all believers, engaging the different sectors of civil society including women and young people as well.”

Kathryn Lohre, executive, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations & Theological Discernment, Office of the Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, noted that Pope Francis insisted that interreligious dialogue and cooperation are critical in the quest for just peace, and demonstrated this through his actions. 

“Last year, the longest trip of his pontificate included a signing ceremony in Indonesia with the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta – the third largest mosque in the world behind Mecca and Medina,” she said. “Their ‘Joint Declaration of Istiqlal: Fostering Religious Harmony for the Sake of Humanity’ affirmed how interreligious dialogue and cooperation counter both dehumanizing tendencies and indifference to the greatest challenges facing humanity, such as the climate crisis.”

During the occasion, Lohre said, Pope Francis reinforced how dialogue creates a “connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care and reciprocity” (Address of the Holy Father). 

“In this year of the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration of the Church’s Relationship to Non-Christian Religions, it is fitting that we honor the Holy Father’s legacy of bridge-building across religious and spiritual traditions,” she said.

For Pope Francis, interreligious dialogue was not only a theological imperative but also a political and humanitarian one. In his own words, the future of humanity depends on recognizing one another as brothers and sisters. He called on religious communities to be agents of peace, not ideology; of encounter, not walls.

Dr Jakob Wirén, professor of Theology of Religions at Lund university and theological advisor to the archbishop of Church of Sweden, reflected that Pope Francis will be remembered for his attentiveness to human suffering and his courage to speak on behalf of the marginalized and displaced. “He has also been a bridge-builder in both ecumenical and interreligious relations,” said Wirén. “I had the privilege of being present in Abu Dhabi when the Document on Human Fraternity was signed together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb—an event of great significance in the history of Christian-Muslim relations.”

Wirén was present in Lund when Pope Francis commemorated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation alongside the Lutheran World Federation and the local host, the Church of Sweden. “That, too, was a significant step forward in Catholic-Lutheran relations,” he said. “Pope Francis’s commitment to dialogue across faiths and cultures has left a lasting legacy of hope and reconciliation—one that is deeply needed in our time.”

As the WCC continues its commitment to interreligious dialogue and cooperation, it draws strength and inspiration from leaders of our times, like Pope Francis, whose witness reminded the world that genuine faith is never indifferent to the suffering of the other. His legacy challenges us to intensify dialogue for our common work for peace rooted in justice, compassion, and shared humanity. 

Prof. Dr Angeliki Ziaka, WCC programme executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, said that Pope Francis was undoubtedly a beloved Holy Father, transcending distinctions of race, gender, and religion. “His unique personality inaugurated a new custom within the Catholic Church—one characterised by direct engagement with the faithful, a prophetic voice in defence of the marginalised, and significant interfaith initiatives undertaken in collaboration with prominent leaders of the world’s major religions,” she said. “Through both his actions and discourse, he demonstrated that interreligious rapprochement is not merely a theological concern, but also an urgent practical, ethical, and existential imperative for religious communities and humanity at large. Pope Francis articulated a message that resonated far beyond the Christian world, inspiring a global audience and encapsulating the very essence of the Christian gospel, that of love. May he rest in peace.”