Pope Francis has always been open to dialogues with other religions. During his time in Buenos Aires, he continually supported open avenues of communication with non-Christian communities. The ex-Cardinal would visit other religious centers before major holidays. The secretary of the Islamic Center of Argentina (CIRA), Sumer Noufouri, said he considers Pope Francis’ a sincere friend of the Islamic community. Sheik Ali Mohsen, head of the House for the Spread of Islam, also describes the Pope as “a true friend of our community and he visited my mosque.” Ali also recalls the proverbial austerity of the new Pope when he visited the Cardinal’s headquarters, “his humility impressed me: the room was a small wicker chair and a few soft chairs. He sat in the wicker chairs and left us the comfortable armchairs.”
