Rome – In a heartfelt gesture of respect and appreciation, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, alongside committee members, Ambassador Issa Kassissieh (Palestine’s Ambassador to the Holy See), Ambassador Amira Hanania (the Committee’s representative to Europe), and Yousef Barakat (Committee Representative in Jerusalem), paid a final tribute to His Holiness Pope Francis today at the Basilica in the Vatican.
This farewell, offered on behalf of the Palestinian leadership and people, reflected the deep reverence and profound affection Palestinians hold for His Holiness. It also acknowledged his spiritual and humanitarian leadership, and his steadfast, principled support for the Palestinian cause and people.
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, is a global symbol of peace, justice, and compassion. Since the beginning of his papacy in 2013, he has consistently championed humanitarian causes, chief among them, the Palestinian cause. On numerous occasions, His Holiness has called for an end to the occupation and the realization of justice and peace in the Holy Land. He has emphasized the importance of preserving the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and protecting its Muslim and Christian holy sites.
The presence of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs today is a reaffirmation of the enduring bond between the Palestinian people and the Holy See, and a gesture of deep gratitude for the Pope’s moral and humanitarian stances – stances that will remain forever etched in the collective memory and national conscience of Palestine.
