Hawzah News Agency- In response to the recent letter sent by Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi to Pope Francis in which the senior Shia cleric thanked Pope for his stance on Islam and the fact that Islam does not equal terrorism, Vatican sent an official letter stating:

“Pope Francis was pleased upon receiving your eminence’s letter and expressed his gratitude,”

In the next part of the letter which has been delivered by Iranian embassy in Vatican, it reads:

“As his eminence, Ayatollah Makarem is already aware, the message of all religions, particularly monotheistic religions, is primarily the absolute worship of God by mankind in addition to expressing love and respect for all the people with whom we interact. Therefore, administering violence, especially when carried out under the name of God or religion, is considered as a major insult to God almighty, it is further a form of great injustice against the oppressed.” Hawzah quoted Pope as saying.

The statement goes on: “Therefore, present religious leaders of the world need to stand united, more than ever before, to voice their support for the entitlement of every human being to their dignity and legitimate rights,”

It is noteworthy that during Pope Francis’ visit to Poland, he asserted that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism and violence and no divine religion should be associated with such terms,”

The Office of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

October 5, 2016