“Hamas—one day offering condolences for the Rafidi who kills Sunnis, and another day for the Pope—and then they expect victory from God…,” wrote one user on X. The term “Rafidi” is a derogatory label used by hardline Sunnis to refer to Shia Muslims.

In a comment on Hezbollah’s statement, one user wrote on Facebook: “The Party of Satan mourns the leader of the polytheists out of hypocrisy and flattery toward the Crusaders.”

“Praying for mercy for a non-Muslim after their death contradicts many verses of the Holy Quran, which state that the fate of those who disbelieve in Islam is the Hellfire,” wrote one Facebook user in response to the mourning message from Iranian-born Iraqi Shia leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Similarly, some hardliners mocked Egypt’s Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb for referring to the pope as a “brother in humanity” in his condolence statement. Radical comments also attacked Pope Francis for his support for same-sex marriages.