Pope Francis praised former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s “firm commitment” to peace and reconciliation in a message of condolence following Carter’s death at age 100 on Sunday.

The pontiff’s message was published as a telegram by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Dec. 30. It highlighted Carter’s “deep Christian faith” that motivated his dedication to humanitarian causes.

“Recalling President Carter’s firm commitment, motivated by deep Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defense of human rights, and the welfare of the poor and those in need, the Holy Father commends him to the infinite mercies of Almighty God,” the papal telegram stated.

Carter, a lifelong Baptist who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, made history as the first U.S. president to welcome a pope to the White House when he hosted St. John Paul II in 1979 during the pontiff’s first papal visit to the United States.

Despite theological differences with Catholic teaching on several social issues, Carter maintained respectful dialogue with the Vatican throughout his presidency and subsequent humanitarian work.

In their historic 1979 meeting, Carter and John Paul II spoke “not as diplomats but as Christian brothers,” according to National Archives records.

Throughout his post-presidency, Carter frequently emphasized Christian unity on core beliefs while acknowledging denominational differences. 

In his 2005 book “Our Endangered Values,” he noted that “most of the rudiments of my faith in Christ as Savior and the Son of God are still shared without serious question by Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Copts, Seventh-day Adventists, and many other religious people.”

The former president died on Dec. 29 at age 100 after entering hospice care in February 2023. He was the longest-lived American president in history.

This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.

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