Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes

Tributes being paid to Pope Francis at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Lahore, Pakistan, on April 22, 2025. AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary

Pope Francis’ pontificate marked a distinct shift in the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Muslim world. While his predecessors fostered dialogue and tolerance, Francis sought more active engagement with Muslims, particularly in the Middle East.

Francis framed his efforts around the “culture of encounter,” which he explained in a 2016 morning meditation. Drawing inspiration from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, he noted that this approach was about “active engagement” rather than passive observation. He urged individuals to embody Jesus by “not just seeing, but looking; not just hearing, but listening; not just passing people by, but stopping with them.”