His Holiness Pope Francis

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, particularly coming towards the end of the Easter period.

Pope Francis was loved and respected. He was a man of deep faith; one who has touched the lives of millions through his words and actions. He conducted himself with grace and a deep sense of humility in his pontifical role as he embraced a broad section of society including the poor, marginalised, refugees and the downtrodden.

He said “All religions are paths to God…they are like different languages that express the divine”. An advocate for interfaith dialogue he expressed the urgent need to build bridges between communities to end conflict and work towards peace. A strong voice for the environment and climate change, he urged action to help restore balance in our environment.

We hope his legacy will be kept alive with continual engagement and dialogue with each other, where we treat each other with compassion and kindness and build pathways to peace.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Catholic community. May he rest in eternal peace.