Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) – Considering the universal mission of Islam and the mutual respect between Abrahamic religions, Ayatollah Arafi, Director of Iran Seminaries, addressed Christian leaders in separate messages and congratulated them and Christians of the world on the beginning of the New Year and blessed occasion of birth anniversary of Jesus (peace be upon him) who enjoys a high status among followers of Divine religions. In addition to wishing peace and love for the world throughout the New Year, he announced readiness of Iranian seminaries to engage in dialogue with Christian churches to achieve religious solutions for global challenges including wars and discriminations:

The text of his message to Pope Francis, the Leader of the Catholic World, is as follows:

In The Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

To His Eminence Pope Francis

The Leader of the Catholic World

We offer our greetings, respect and heartfelt congratulations on the occasions of the blessed birth anniversary of The Word of God, Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), and beginning of the New Year, to Your Holiness, your colleagues, our Christian sisters and brothers, and also to believers of divine religions and all seekers of spiritual excellence.

The Management Centre of Islamic Seminaries in Iran, whilst wishing for a year full of love, faith, spirituality, peace, and mercy for all human beings, especially Christians and followers of divine religions, announces its passion and willingness for mutual cooperation with Your Holiness and the Catholic Church in pursuit of religious solutions for reduction of global crises including wars, discriminations, environmental problems and ethical challenges of emerging technologies.

Wishing you all the best of Divine blessings.

                                                                                                          Alireza Arafi

 Head of Islamic Seminaries in Iran

Other names of Christian figures to whom congratulation messages of Ayatollah Arafi are sent:

Pope Francis, the Leader of the Catholic World

Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece

Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarch

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia

Catholicos Ilia II, Patriarch of All Georgia

Catholicos Aram I Keshishian, Head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia

Metropolitan Hilarion, The Head of the Moscow Patriarch's Department of External Church Relations

Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches

End.