Top Kurdish leaders on Monday offered their deepest condolences to the Vatican and the Catholic Christian community after Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88.
“With the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the world has lost a voice of compassion and unity,” Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani posted on X.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the Vatican and the Catholic faithful across Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world.”
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In February 2020, Prime Minister Barzani visited the Vatican and presented Pope Francis with the picture of a peshmerga fighter restoring the cross in the town of Bashiqa after it was liberated from ISIS.
Later, in March 2021, Pope Francis made a historical visit to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, where he met with senior Kurdish officials and led a prayer at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil attended by many members of the local Christian community.
“In my meetings with Pope Francis in Rome, and when he came to Erbil in 2021, I came to know him for his commitment to peace and understanding,” Prime Minister Barzani said in a statement.
With the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the world has lost a voice of compassion and unity.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) April 21, 2025
In my meetings with Pope Francis in Rome, and when he came to Erbil in 2021, I came to know him for his commitment to peace and understanding. pic.twitter.com/nfeqAP6ity
“The mass he celebrated in Erbil sent a powerful message that Christians are valued and respected in Kurdistan …We offer our deepest condolences to the Vatican and to the Catholic faithful in Kurdistan and the world.”
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani underlined that he was deeply saddened by the passing of Pope Francis. “I will always cherish our meetings and his prayers for peace in Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world.
“His legacy will forever resonate as a beacon of hope, peace, and human dignity for generations to come.”
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President Nechirvan Barzani also mentioned the Pope’s visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in 2021. “[This] was a profound act of faith and solidarity, remembered with deep respect and gratitude by all our people. May his divine soul rest in eternal peace.”
The KRG has a strong relationship with the Vatican. The first official and publicized meeting between senior Kurdistan Region officials and the Vatican was in 2005, when then-President Masoud Barzani met with the previous pope, Pope John Paul II, in the Vatican.
I am deeply saddened by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis — a man of great humility, compassion, and moral courage. I will always cherish our meetings and his prayers for peace in Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world.
— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) April 21, 2025
His legacy will forever resonate as a beacon of hope, peace,… pic.twitter.com/azf8chK46n
“It is with profound sorrow that we have received the news of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis,” President Masoud Barzani stated, issuing condolences to Christians in Kurdistan, Iraq, and in the world. “He was a distinguished spiritual leader who dedicated his life to promoting the values of humanity, compassion, and peace across the world … We stand with them in mourning this great loss and share in their grief.
“May the soul of His Holiness Pope Francis rest in eternal peace. May God Almighty grant comfort and serenity to all those who mourn his passing.”
