HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser met Pope Francis as part of a private audience at the Vatican City yesterday.
Talks during the meeting dealt with topics of mutual interest, with a focus on the current refugee crisis and providing quality education in conflict zones, in addition to the importance of inter-faith dialogue between Muslims and Christians in order to address issues in the world.
Sheikha Moza expressed her gratitude to Pope Francis for his outspoken support and commitment to refugees, noting that he had inspired people across the world through both his words and deeds.
She affirmed how his message of unity and hand of friendship to all people and faiths is more important now than ever.
In return, Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for Sheikha Moza’s work through the Education Above All foundation, which provides access to education for millions of out-of-school children around the world.
In their discussions, Sheikha Moza cited statistics showing that between 2009 and 2012, there were at least 30 countries that were heavily affected by attacks on schools.
Pope Francis stated that he was aware of the gravity of the situation, and stressed that every person in conflict areas should be protected, particularly children and schools.
After her meeting with Pope Francis, Sheikha Moza witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Qatar National Library and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana to digitise and make publicly available a range of invaluable Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, which are held in the collection of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
The agreement was signed by Dr Hamad Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, adviser in the Emiri Diwan and member of the Qatar National Library board of trustees, and Mons Cesare Pasini, director of the Vatican Library.
These manuscripts will be available through the Qatar Digital Library, a world-class, online portal launched in October 2014 to provide worldwide free access to an extensive collection of historical items related to the Middle East.
HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with Pope Francis. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker / HHOPL
