Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guisot, Spanish prelate and head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, died on Monday, November 25 at the age of 72 after a long illness.
Vatican News
Vatican City, Tuesday, November 26, 2024 (REI): Cardinal Ayuso Guisot has been a firm defender of interreligious dialogue for years, accompanying Pope Francis on almost all of his apostolic trips. His extensive knowledge of Islam and the Arab world made him an essential part of the Pope’s efforts to strengthen relations with other religions. These trips are often called “Pilgrimages of Fraternity”, reflecting the Cardinal’s dedication to promoting unity in areas where Catholicism is a minority.
In 2019 he participated in historic visits to the United Arab Emirates and Morocco as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and assumed leadership of the department shortly after being created a cardinal on October 5, 2019. In 2021 he traveled with Pope Francis to Iraq. He described this visit as transformative for the war-torn nation. He also accompanied the Pope to Kazakhstan and Bahrain in 2022 and remained active in his mission until health problems arose.
Deeply connected in faith and universal mission
Seville’s unique combination of Christian and Islamic heritage deeply influenced its sensitivity to interfaith understanding. While studying law, he felt a calling and joined the Comboni Missionaries in 1973. After being ordained a priest in 1980, he continued his studies in Rome, specializing in Islamic studies.
Cardinal Gissot’s missionary journey began in Cairo, where he served the Latin community and helped the Catholic youth of Sudan. This path eventually led him to academic leadership in war-torn Sudan and later to president of the Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. His experience earned him the position of advisor to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue in 2007. Promoted to the rank of prefect in 2019, Cardinal Ayusso Gissot became a central figure in the Church’s efforts to promote dialogue with Muslims, Hindus, , Buddhists and other religious communities around the world.
brotherhood tradition
Cardinal Ayuso Gissot embraces Pope Francis’ vision of fraternity, as outlined in the encyclical “Fratelli Tutti.” Through his tireless dedication to dialogue, he demonstrated that peaceful coexistence between different religions is possible and necessary. His demise is the loss of a visionary leader who brought the spirit of unity to the world stage.
