Rome (AsiaNews) – The Women of Faith-An Interfaith Collective issued a statement following the death of Pope Francis. In it, the group, which represents women of faith from all over the world, many from Asia, engaged in interreligious dialogue, express deep “respect and gratitude” for the late pontiff.
In their message, they underline the "humility and courage" with which the pontiff recognised "the vital role of women in the life of the Church and society in general. His words opened the door to dialogue, inspired reflection and challenged long-standing assumptions, always rooted in compassion and a deep love for humanity."
Pope Francis met them in January 2023 on the occasion of the conference "Women Building a Culture of Interreligious Encounter”. In his address, he invited them to rediscover, “the feminine aspects of your respective religious traditions.”
“The activity of encounter and the openness it requires is becoming rare and its practice is one of the greatest gifts you can offer to your families, to your communities and to society as a whole.
I encourage you to continue this important work together, sharing with one another the insights and practices” so as to “foster the dignity of women and girls in particular”, as well “offer healing to many people who are seeking not only material relief from suffering, but above all, a sense of meaning and purpose for their lives”.
Below is the full message of Women of Faith – An Interfaith Collective:
As women from diverse faith traditions, we come together in a spirit of deep respect and gratitude to honor the life and legacy of Pope Francis. In his years of service, he uplifted and affirmed the spiritual dignity, leadership, and wisdom of women in faith communities across the world. Our interfaith collective is an example of that: we were gathered by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue for a conference at the Vatican in January 2023 "Women building a culture of encounter interreligiously" and since then we decided to keep meeting and bring our contribution as women of faith together.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis spoke with humility and courage, often acknowledging the vital role women play in the life of the Church and in society at large. His words opened doors for dialogue, inspired reflection, and challenged long-held assumptions—always rooted in compassion and a deep love for humanity.
In a time when the voices of women of faith are still striving to be fully heard, his recognition of our presence and contributions gave hope and encouragement not only to Catholic women, but to women across all religious traditions.
We join people around the world in mourning his passing and celebrating his commitment to justice, mercy, and peace. May his memory be a blessing and a call to continue building a world where all are heard, valued, and empowered.
With sorrow, gratitude, and solidarity,
(Individual signature in alphabetical order)
Mrs. Nicoletta Bernasconi, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
Dr. Christie Chang, Taipei – Taiwan (Mahayana Chinese Buddhist)
Dr. Rudina Çollaku, Elbasan – Albania (Muslim)
Ms. Maria Eugenia Crespo, Buenos Aires – Argentina (Roman Catholic)
Dr. Maria A. De Giorgi, mmx, Tamana – Japan (Roman Catholic)
Ms. Elena Dini, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, Jerusalem - Israel (Jewish)
Mrs. Dunya Elemenler, Bonn – Germany (Muslim)
Prof. Rita George-Tvrtkovic, Chicago – USA (Roman Catholic)
Hj. Sarah L. Handang, Zamboanga City – Philippines (Muslim)
Sr. Grace Marie Horan, FSE, Washington, DC – USA (Roman Catholic)
Dr. Sr. Josmy Jose, FMA, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
Sr. Jolanta Kafka, Madrid – Spain (Roman Catholic)
Ms. Chihiro Kase, Tokyo – Japan (Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhism)
Dr. Sandra Toenies Keating, Providence, RI – USA (Roman Catholic)
Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, Amritsar – India (Sikh)
Ravijit Kaur, Bologna – Italy (Sikh)
Mrs. Vedya Kaur, Rome – Italy (Sikh)
Mrs. Carla Khijoyan, Geneva – Switzerland (Armenian Orthodox)
Mrs. Chau-wan Leung Gina, Hong Kong – China (Confucianism)
Ms. Christina Man Kei Hau, Hong Kong – China (Taoism)
Dr. Charika Marasinghe, Moratuwa – Sri Lanka (Theravada Buddhist)
Dr. Valeria Martano, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
Ms. Ruth Mkwaira, Blantyre – Malawi (African Traditional Religion)
Mrs. Eleonora Mura, Prague - Czech Republic (Roman Catholic)
Dr. Ines Angeli Murzaku, South Orange, NJ – USA (Byzantine Catholic)
Ms. Lavinia Rocchi Carrera, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
Mrs. Arshna Sanghrajka, London - United Kingdom (Jain)
Mrs. Viviane Nader Sebrini, Jounieh – Lebanon (Maronite Catholic)
Sr. Theresa Seow, Singapore - Singapore (Roman Catholic)
Dr. Vaishali K Shah, Mumbai / Nairobi - India / Kenya (Hindu)
Svamini Shuddhananda, Rome – Italy (Hindu)
Mrs. Awat Taieb, Sulaymaniyah – Iraq (Zoroastrian)
Ms. Wai-oi Tong, Hong Kong – China (Confucianism)
Dr. Lakshmi Vyas, London – United Kingdom (Hindu)
Hj. Alissa Wahid, Jakarta – Indonesia (Muslim)
Ass. Prof. Stephanie M. Wong, Philadelphia, PA – USA (Roman Catholic)
Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff, Short Hills, NJ – USA (Jewish)
Servidora María Lía Zervino, Rome – Italy (Roman Catholic)
