Italy
The Grand Imam meets Pope Francis to discuss ways to promote peace and coexistence
His Eminence the Grand Imam made a historic visit, the first of its kind, to the Papal Headquarters in Rome, on May 25, 2016, during which he met His Holiness Pope Francis of the Vatican to discuss ways of promoting the culture of peace and coexistence. The two sides agreed to resume dialogue between Al-Azhar and the Vatican, after a period of tension and estrangement that lasted for about 10 years. They also agreed to amend the dialogue agreement concluded in 1989 to adapt to the latest circumstances and to come up with a strong message against extremism and violence that the whole world is witnessing. They also agreed to hold a global peace conference in Cairo, which actually took place on April 27-28, 2017. At the end of the visit, the Pope presented a souvenir to the Grand Imam.