Kildare Bishop releases further statement paying tribute to Pope Francis

The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Denis Nulty, has paid further tribute to the late Pope Francis, whose passing was announced yesterday (Easter Monday, April 21 last).

The first Latin American Pope, Pope Francis, suffered a stroke on Monday following months of ill health and passed away at the age of 88.

Bishop Nulty's new statement comes comes as the Vatican this morning (Tuesday, April 22) announced funeral details for the late Pontiff.

Following on from his original statement from yesterday, Bishop Nulty said: "While we knew he was very ill, seeing him on Easter Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square, greeting the faithful, brought great comfort to many.

"Pope Francis came from the periphery, as the first Pope from the Americas, and those at the periphery — the poor, the migrant, the prisoner, the refugee, the outcast — were always at the centre of his pontificate. 

"Only last Holy Thursday, despite his own frailty, he took time to visit Rome’s Regina Coeli prison and his first visit outside Rome as Pope was to the tiny island of Lampedusa to remember the many drowned at sea, in search of refuge and a new beginning on mainland Europe.

He continued: "Pope Francis will be remembered for many things and there will be much commentary over the next while, but for me, his message of inclusion and mercy was key. 'The name of God is mercy' he reminded us, and now, we commend him to the mercy of God. 

"At the heart of his message of hope in this Jubilee Year was the reality of the life, death and resurrection of Christ and in this Easter Octave, Pope Francis is welcomed into the eternal embrace of the resurrection.

"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam," Bishop Nulty concluded.

He added that a book of condolences will be available to sign in the Cathedral over the next few days.

Bishop Denis Nulty (File photograph)

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