Vatican City: Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb extended his congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his recent election as the new Pope of the Catholic Church. El-Tayeb expressed his eagerness to continue the collaboration with the newly elected Pope in advancing interfaith dialogue and promoting the values of human fraternity for the benefit of global peace and coexistence.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first American Pope and took the name Leo XIV. Prevost, aged 69, became the 267th pontiff following his election by the College of Cardinals to succeed Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, Prevost spent his formative years with his family and pursued his studies at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers. He later attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Mathematics and also studied Philosophy.