The CFCM welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s message of peace and fraternity in France

In a press release dated September 26, the French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) welcomes the words of peace, fraternity and respect for human dignity spoken by Pope Leo XIV during his visit to France. The Muslim body sees this as an encouragement to interreligious dialogue and the cohesion of French society. Referring to the Pope’s interventions at the Élysée and UNESCO, the CFCM underlines its attachment to rights and freedoms, to dialogue between peoples and to respect for differences. He also notes his message on the diversity of origins, cultures and traditions, which enriches collective life: unity cannot be built by erasing differences. These words, underlines the Council, “find a particular echo among the Muslims of France”.

While remaining faithful to their respective religious traditions, Catholics and Muslims share, recalls the CFCM, essential convictions that can contribute to the common good: faith in God, the dignity of each human being, respect for life, solidarity and attention to the most fragile. The CFCM particularly notes the Pope’s invitation to make France a “tireless artisan of peace”. Faced with wars, social fractures and identity tensions, he recalls that believers can be “actors of peace, fraternity and national cohesion”.

This place given to diversity carries a simple message: living together does not require renouncing one’s history or culture. It’s about knowing each other, respecting each other and building a common future. By relaying this idea, the CFCM defends a society where differences can fuel exchanges rather than divisions, while respecting republican principles and secularism. The body finally reaffirms its availability to deepen the dialogue with the Catholic Church and all the actors of interreligious dialogue, in the service of peace and the common good.