The government spokesperson states that the participation of Pezeshkian in Pope Francis’s funeral is under review.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, regarding whether there’s a possibility of President Pezeshkian attending Pope Francis’s funeral, considering Mohammad Khatami’s presence at Pope John Paul II’s funeral, said that this matter is under review.
Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s Catholics, who was recently undergoing treatment due to illness and was reportedly in recovery according to the Vatican, passed away yesterday, Monday.
Following the passing of Pope Francis, Massoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, issued a message of condolence to the world’s Catholic Christians and the followers and admirers of the Pope.
The death of Pope Francis has once again raised the topic of the Iranian President’s presence in the Vatican.
This subject recalls the history of relations between Iran and the Vatican, which dates back to the first official meeting between the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Vatican in 1999.
In that year, then-President Mohammad Khatami, in an effort to implement the theory of dialogue among civilizations, met with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.
In this friendly meeting, Khatami presented gifts including a volume of Hafez’s poetry, the television series ‘Men of Anjolos,’ and a fine Iranian carpet to the Pope.
This carpet later became one of the decorations of the Saint Mark’s Basilica.