THE Vatican has released a touching tribute to Pope Francis following the announcement if his death at 88 on Monday morning.
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, commended the pontiff’s “life dedicated to service”, and reflected on the lessons he taught Christians around the world.
The Cardinal’s statement read: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, the late Pope Francis requested a simple funeral that focused on expressing the faith of the Church.
Ravelli said: “The renewed rite seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, also paid tribute to the late Pope.
It read: “‘Let us walk together, work together, pray together.’ These are the words Pope Francis said to me when we met in 2023.
“They sum up his vision for the church, both the Roman Catholic Church but also ecumenically. Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve.
“We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.
“Francis showed us how to follow Jesus and encouraged us to go and do likewise.”
The Vatican, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, was joined by world leaders paying their respects to Pope Francis.
Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof said the world will remember him “with great respect”, and commended his “sober way of life” and “acts of service and compassion”.
New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said he was “saddened” by the news and sent his thoughts to Catholics around the world.
Luxon described the passed pontiff as: “A man of humility, his legacy includes an unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice and to interfaith dialogue.”
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