<\/p>\n
The former Iranian Ambassador to the Vatican, noting that this is the first time that the Pope has met with a figure in the Shia Authority, said: \u201cThe Pope\u2019s interpretation of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani has never been about other Islamic scholars. The fact is that the Pope\u2019s interpretations of Ayatollah Sistani are notable and reflect his personality traits.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an interview with Shafaqna, Hujjatul-Islam Dr. Mohammad Masjed-Jamei said about the Pope\u2019s meeting with the Grand Ayatollah Sistani: \u201cThroughout history and as far as the Shia world is concerned, the Popes have had many meetings with second-rate religious figures in the Shia world, but this is the first time that the Pope has met a figure of Shia Authority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding the meeting of Pope Francis with the Supreme Religious Authority of Shia Muslims, he said: \u201cThe Popes, wherever they travel, generally meet with the religious figures of that country, so it was natural that the Pope also met with Muslim religious figures during his trip to Iraq, but as far as I know, this is more or less the first time that the Pope has left Baghdad for a city like Najaf Ashraf just to meet with a Shia figure. Because in the meetings that took place in the past, different personalities came to the Pope, and if the Pope went to them, it was not that he would travel somewhere especially to see that person, but eventually on the side-lines of a meeting in an institution or giving a speech in a city, he also met with these personalities and religious fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n
He referred to Pope Francis\u2019 descriptions of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani\u2019s character and said: \u201cBasically, Popes give interviews inside the plane when they return from a trip; When the Pope returned to Italy from Iraq, he said something very respectful about him on the plane during the interview, and that this feeling of respect comes from the character of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani. He described him as a spiritual, conversant, humble, and man of God, and that it is his honor to meet with the Grand Ayatollah Sistani.<\/p>\n
Pope Francis meets Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n