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| Pope Francis was the first Latin American head of the Catholic Church (Vatican photo) |
Church bells rang in many countries across the globe, within hours after the Vatican announced the passing of Pope Francis this Easter Monday. He was 88.
The Pope died almost a month after he was released
from a Rome hospital where he was treated for five weeks for bilateral
pneumonia.
He recovered well enough to appear on the balcony of
St Peter’s Basilica yesterday to give the traditional Easter blessing to delighted
crowds, in what turned out to be his last public appearance.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
At 9:45am Rome time (3:45pm in Hong Kong), Cardinal
Kevin Farrell announced that the Holy Father, who had been head prelate for 12
years, had died.
“At
7:35 this morning (1:35pm HK time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to
the house of the Father,” said Cardinal Farrell.
“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 fidelity, courage, and
universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
In the Philippines which remains a predominantly Roman Catholic country, many people took to social media to express sorrow over the Pope’s passing.
Many remembered him for his humility and efforts to reach out to people of disparate backgrounds and faith.
One remembered in particular how the Pope had washed the feet of Muslim refugees and jailed women, how he gave solace and comfort to LGBTQI people, and called for unequivocal peace in the Middle East.
In his last Easter homily, he called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza
Strip, and for hostages to be released and access granted to humanitarian aid.
Pope Francis visited the Philippines once in 2015,
just over a year after Typhoon Yolanda devastated the country, and left more
than 6,000 people dead. He prayed for the victims, and for the healing of survivors of
the tragedy.
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| The Pope and Cardinal Tagle share light moment with migrants at the Vatican in Sept 2017 (photo by Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters] |
The Pope appointed four of the 10 Filipino cardinals in Church history, including Cardinal Luis Tagle, who is heavily favored to be the next head of the Roman Catholic church.
The new pontiff is expected to be chosen in about
two to three weeks, in a conclave of cardinals from all over the world that
will convene after a nine-day mourning for the Pope.
In Hong Kong, the
Catholic Diocese headed by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., expressed its “profound
sorrow” over the Pope’s death, and extended “heartfelt condolences.”
The diocese recalled
that the Argentinian-born Pope Francis was elected as the 266th Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, who
resigned in February of the same year.
Pope Francis became the
first Jesuit pope and the first to come from Latin America.
He assumed the papacy
after serving as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires starting in 1998, and was made
a cardinal in 2001.
The diocese remembered
Pope Francis for his advocacy for interreligious dialogue and global peace, and
for initiating significant reforms within the Holy See through the promotion of
women participation in decision-making processes.
In September 2023, Pope
Francis visited Mongolia, highlighting the significant relations between the
Vatican and China.
