Athens, April 21, 2025. Statement on the passing of Pope Francis

The Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), Member of the Hellenic Parliament, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, made the following statement on the passing of Pope Francis:

“Pope Francis was a humble man of goodwill, who truly believed in sincere dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics. As head of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, I had the opportunity to witness this personally during the two meetings we held at the Holy See in the Vatican. Whether on the issue of protecting Hagia Sophia in Constantinople—which we discussed with him in August 2022, also presenting him with the volume we published on the matter—or in September 2024, during discussions surrounding the celebration of a Common Easter this year, we encountered a warm and receptive counterpart.

It is certainly regrettable that his passing will prevent him from joining the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew— with whom he had cultivated an excellent relationship—at the historic commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, planned for May in Nicaea of Bithynia.

Without a doubt, Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most significant leaders of the Roman Catholic Church—one who championed the values of equality and solidarity among all people, and who expressed deep concern for the pursuit of peace in the war-torn regions of Ukraine and the Middle East.

On behalf of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, we extend our sincere condolences to the Catholic world.”