Cardinal Vincent Nichols tribute to Pope Francis

Source: CBCEW

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Archbishop of Westminster, said:

"The death of Pope Francis brings great sadness to so many around the world, both within the Catholic Church and in societies in general. A voice proclaiming the innate dignity of every human being, especially those who are poor or marginalised, is now silent. The legacy he leaves is one we must seek to carry forward and strengthen.

"Pope Francis was called to priesthood through his experience of the mercy and compassion of God. This remained the core of his ministry, as Priest, Bishop and Pontiff. Only in understanding the love and mercy of God towards each one of us can we fashion societies and communities that bear the mark of the 'kingdom of God'.

"This same focus and emphasis lay at this desire to see membership of the Church as being rooted in 'missionary discipleship', a dynamic and powerful vision for every Christian and every community.

"Now we pray for the repose of his soul, that he may know, in full measure, the merciful and loving embrace of the Father, of the one God to whom he gave his life in unstinting service.

"May he now rest in peace and rise in glory."

The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales will celebrate Requiem Masses for the repose of the soul of the late Pope in their cathedrals. Prayer cards have been distributed to Catholic parishes throughout the two countries.

Pope Francis was the first non-European Pope for nearly 1,300 years since Gregory III, an 8th century Syrian. An Argentinean, he was the first Pope from the southern hemisphere and was also the first Pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus.

A champion of ecclesial reform, an advocate for the poor and refugees, Pope Francis urged the world to develop a relationship with the Earth which he called "Our Common Home". He said we face an "environmental-social crisis," marked by "globalised indifference to the poor". Care for people, he said, should always trump financial gain. "My people are poor and I am one of them," was a favoured saying.

These were not mere words: Francis chose to live in two plain rooms in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the residence in the Apostolic Palace traditionally used by Popes. He would invite the homeless to celebrate his birthday. At Francis's behest, free showers and launderettes for the destitute were opened in Rome.

He created a Vatican office for the care of refugees and migrants.

Francis urged every Catholic parish and monastery in Europe to welcome a migrant family after bringing 12 refugees from Syria from Greece to re-settle in Italy. He visualised the Church as a "field-hospital" where sinners (he included himself) encounter God's healing love and mercy. His message was that God's love was for everyone, including those who felt alienated from the Church for whatever reason. He stressed the need for every person to see their lives as a step by step journey into closer union with God, following the way and teaching of Jesus, the Christ.

Ultimately, Francis desired a simple Church focused on evangelisation and sensitive to the needs of the poor.

In 2013, Time magazine named Francis their "person of the year" for bringing the Papacy "out of the palace and onto the streets."