Sivagiri Madhom recalls Pope Francis’ words on Sree Narayana Guru

Sivagiri Madhom mourns Pope Francis, highlighting his impact on interfaith harmony and world peace at a Vatican conference.

The Sivagiri Madhom condoled the death of Pope Francis on Monday, recalling the time he spent with the senior monks of the Madhom in November 2024 at an inter-religious conference at the Vatican marking the 100th anniversary of the ‘All Religions’ Conference’ organised by Sree Narayana Guru in 1924.

Sivagiri Madhom president Swami Sathchidananda remembered Pope Francis as a spiritual leader who stood unmatched in popularity and in his ability to bring people together.

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In Pope Francis’s death, the Madhom has also lost an opportunity to host him, said Swami Satchchidananda, who, with senior monks of the Madhom, had met the Pope on November 30, 2024. “He inaugurated the conference and spent two hours with us. When we invited him to visit Sivagiri, he readily agreed to do so next year,” Swami Sathchidananda told The Hindu.

The Vatican event had been organised by the Madhom with the support of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican.

“Pope Francis held a position of primacy among spiritual leaders. As someone who stood for world peace, the void left by his death cannot be filled easily,” he said, adding that the Sivagiri Madhom stood with the Christian world in mourning Pope Francis’ passing.

The Pope had described Narayana Guru’s message as relevant in an age when the world is witnessing “growing instances of intolerance and hatred between peoples and nations,” Swami Sathchidananda said.