Pope Francis received Judge Mohammed Abdelsalam, former adviser of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, said Abdelsalam himself on his Twitter account yesterday, August 2, 2020.
According to Il Sismografo, the news blog on the Vatican, a photograph was taken last Friday during Abelsalam’s visit at Saint Martha’s in the Vatican, during which the Pope’s former personal secretary, Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid was also present.
Working Meeting
In another Tweet written in Arabic, Abdelsalam wrote: “I had the pleasure to meet with His Holiness, Pope Francis, two days ago in the Vatican to discuss the projects and initiatives of the Committee of Human Fraternity. This is a holiday gift. “
Mohammed Abdelsalam explained to the Egyptian press that Pope Francis was very grateful for the fact that he had to leave his family at the height of the Eid Al-Adha feast (Feast of the Sacrifice) to come to the working meeting. “We will be your family here,” the Holy Father said. Then he gave his guest a beautiful silver vase.
The Committee’s Work
According to Il Sismografo, Abdelsalam met with the Pontiff to present to him a summary of the work carried out by the Committee over the year on the projects and initiatives it is engaged in, in particular, the Zayed Prize to Human Fraternity and the Abrahamic Family’s House.
Discussions were also held on the vision of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity on a global humanitarian strategy for the period after COVID-19, to promote the values of fraternity, solidarity, and coexistence.
Higher Committee of Human Brotherhood
This Committee was founded in August 2019 to achieve the objectives of the “Document on Human Fraternity,” signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr. Ahmed el-Tahyyeb, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 4 of the same year and the development of an operative framework or the goals and objectives established in it.
The organization is also responsible for the execution of the plans, programs, and initiatives to implement the Document’s decisions, which urges global peace and coexistence to guarantee a brilliant and tolerant future for the coming generations.
Tasks
The Higher Committee’s tasks include the supervision of the implementation of the Document at the regional and international levels, and the holding of international meetings with religious figures, different leaders, heads of international organizations and other interested parties.
The Committee also has the essential role of supervising the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, one of its first initiatives, which embodies the relationship between the three Abrahamic religions and offers a platform for dialogue, understanding, and coexistence among its religions.
