In April and May 2025, members of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) participated in two extraordinary events at the Vatican: the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Inauguration Mass of his successor, Pope Leo XIV. These milestones in the life of the Catholic Church offered not only solemn moments of reflection and ceremony, but a rare opportunity for interfaith connection and representation. ZTFE’s presence marked a significant affirmation of Zoroastrianism’s enduring voice in the global religious dialogue.

L to R: Ruzbeh Hodiwala, Zal Canteenwala, Freyaan Khambatta, Javid Canteenwala, Malcolm Deboo.

 

A Journey of Representation and Respect

Ruzbeh Hodiwala, ZTFE’s Interfaith Coordinator, reflects on this powerful moment:

In April and May 2025, I had the honour—and the equally humbling opportunity—to coordinate and be part of a two-person Zoroastrian delegation, accompanied by Yazad Bhadha, the Resident Priest of the ZTFE, at the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis. This was followed by a five-person delegation (Malcolm Deboo, Javid Canteenwala, Zal Canteenwala, and Freyan Khambatta) for the inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, which included participation in a private audience hosted by His Holiness for representatives of other churches, ecclesial communities, and religious traditions.

As someone who experienced the wonders of soft power diplomacy as a teenager and was later introduced to the world of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, it has been a humbling journey to represent Zoroastrianism at numerous interfaith forums across Asia and Europe since 2013. Often, I stood as the sole Zoroastrian in the room. This time, however, it was deeply moving to be accompanied by others and to humbly remind members of other faith traditions that Zoroastrians still exist.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the ZTFE, where I am entrusted with responsibilities as Interfaith Coordinator, for supporting this visit. I am equally grateful to the Gaspari family for their friendship and for so kindly hosting me during my stays in Rome.

My heartfelt thanks also go to the IARF, where I have served in various capacities since 2012, and where, in 2023, I was humbled that my colleagues in India placed their trust in me by electing me to the International Council as the South Asia representative, later entrusting me with the responsibility of Co-Chairing the International Engagement Committee.

I will forever be grateful to AFS for changing the course of my life and opening the world to me at the tender age of sixteen.

This visit in April and May 2025 is dedicated to Elio, the beloved pet of the Gaspari family, who left us too soon during my stay with them. I was deeply privileged to spend time with him during his final hours of good health and to be by his side thereafter. You have taken a piece of my heart, Elio, and I will forever remember you!

Ruzbeh Hodiwala meeting Pope Leo XIV Photo: © Vatican Media

Ervad Yazad Bhadha, resident Mobed at ZTFE along with Ruzbeh Hodiwala. Photo: © Vatican Media

A Privileged Encounter

Javid Canteenwala, Hon. Treasurer of ZTFE, shared his personal reflections:

Photo: © Vatican Media

It was a profound honour to attend the inaugural mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as one of the representatives of the Zoroastrian community, and an exceptional privilege to meet him the next day, in a Private Audience when he met with representatives of various churches, ecclesial communities, and other religious traditions.

In his address, Pope Leo XIV spoke with great dignity and moral conviction on the urgent need for global peace, the protection of human dignity, and the shared responsibility of all faiths and nations in fostering a more just and compassionate world. He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose unwavering commitment to inter-religious dialogue, mutual collaboration, and social justice continues to inspire.

His Holiness said, “I am convinced if we are in agreement, and free from ideological and political conditioning, we can be effective in saying ‘no’ to war and ‘yes’ to peace, ‘no’ to the arms race and ‘yes’ to disarmament, ‘no’ to an economy that impoverishes peoples and the Earth and ‘yes’ to integral development.”

Pope Leo XIV’s words served as a powerful reminder that enduring leadership is rooted in empathy, principle, and a continuity of purpose.

It was a truly moving occasion and one I will always remember with gratitude.

Embracing a Rare Privilege

Dr. Zal Canteenwala, Co-Chair of ZTFE’s Young Zoroastrians of the UK, offered a thoughtful and candid take:

Photo: © Vatican Media

I’m generally averse to posting on LinkedIn. Out of indifference, but also because much of the content here feels a bit trite: far too personal and overly self-congratulatory, engineered for engagement and increasingly engineered by LLMs.

But my boss (who will remain nameless and untagged) has made a compelling case that this particular experience is particularly rare and worth sharing—and after some resistance and reflection, I agreed.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending the Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome. Even more unusually, I was part of a Private Audience with him the next day, alongside representatives of a wide range of other faiths. I was there as a delegate of the Zoroastrians, a group so statistically rare we are outnumbered by most moderately popular YouTube channels.

The event was everything you’d expect from the Vatican—ceremonial, precise, ornate, and full of gravity. But what really stayed with me was the Pope’s address the next day in the Private Audience. It was a clear, thoughtful reflection on the legacies he inherits and the world that he now confronts. He invoked Pope Francis with clear warmth and placed his own mission within the longer arc of moral leadership—from Nicaea to Vatican II and toward a future shaped by dialogue and conscience.

What stood out most was not the grand setting of the Clementine Hall, but the clarity with which he addressed the present: an unambiguous condemnation of war, a call for disarmament, and a quiet but firm insistence that economic systems must serve people and our planet and not exploit them.

Regardless of one’s theology, the Vatican remains one of the only institutions that can still convene a global dialogue with genuine mutual respect. In a time when so many conversations seem fake or polarised, this alone feels worth acknowledging.

A Legacy of Dialogue

ZTFE’s participation at these Vatican events affirmed a timeless truth: the Zoroastrian faith, though numerically small, remains a vital participant in the global moral conversation. By building bridges across traditions and generations, ZTFE continues its mission of representing a proud legacy of ethics, wisdom, and service—from ancient Persia to the heart of modern Rome.