Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a message with the condolences of the Camerland Church, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, in connection with the death of the Pope Francis.
In a letter, the Azerbaijani leader noted that with a deep shock he took the news of the death of the head of the Holy See, whom he called the outstanding religious figure of our time.
Aliyev emphasized that the international community and Catholics of the world have lost a brilliant spiritual leader who possessed high moral qualities and devoted his life to serving humanity.
“Pope Francis devoted his life to the protection of universal values, the promotion of inter -religious and intercultural understanding and the ideals of humanism, tirelessly worked in the name of establishing mutual understanding, unity and solidarity between people,” the message says.
The head of the Azerbaijani state also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the pontiff to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and holy throne, noting that he recalls personal meetings and sincere communication with Pope Francis.
“The bright memory and rich spiritual heritage of the Pope Francis will always live in hearts and memory,” Aliyev said.
In conclusion, he expressed the deep condolences of Camerlando, the Holy See and all the Catholics of the world on his own personally and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan.