Islamic Supreme Council of Canada to meet Pope Leo XIV at Vatican

VATICAN CITY — An Islamic Supreme Council of Canada delegation is due to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Wednesday, according to Prof. Imam Syed Badiuddin Soharwardy, the council's chairperson, who spoke to Calgary Herald.

Soharwardy said the trip aims to strengthen interfaith relationships. He leads 22 delegates from various parts of Canada. The council is a national Islamic organisation that manages 42 Islamic centres, schools and food banks, according to the report.

"The message that we wanted to convey to him is that we are human beings and we see the value in our relationship regardless if we do have a different belief system," Soharwardy said. "Those differences should not divide us."

Soharwardy said the delegates are praying for the Pope's well-being. The Pope was hospitalised earlier this month, the report said. The report did not give details of his condition.

The delegation will also visit the Islamic University that the Catholic Church manages in Rome, Soharwardy said. He said he visited the university in 2017, when he was part of a delegation led by the Progressive Muslim Association that met the late Pope Francis.

Soharwardy said all expenses for the trip are paid by the participants. He said the visit would help the council learn more about Islam's relationship with other faiths.

Soharwardy said Islamophobia remains an issue in Canada. He said conversations of this kind help reduce misunderstandings about Islam. He also said they help break down barriers held by what he called small but vocal groups in Canada.

The report does not say what the meeting will cover or whether it has been confirmed by the Vatican. It does not include a Vatican response.

Background

The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada is a national organisation. Soharwardy leads the council and is based in Calgary, where he spoke from the Green Dome Islamic School in northeast Calgary.

In 2017, Soharwardy was part of a delegation that met Pope Francis at the Vatican. Pope Francis died before the current visit was planned.