Pope Francis remembered as 'kind and welcoming' by Archbishop of Liverpool
Pope Francis died on Monday.
The death of Pope Francis was announced in a statement released by the Vatican on Easter Monday (April 21).
Elected as the 266th pope in March 2013, Francis made history as the first Jesuit, the first Latin American, and the first non-European pontiff in over a millennium. His papacy was characterised by a commitment to humility, social justice, and reform within the Catholic Church.
He chose to reside in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta rather than the traditional Apostolic Palace, emphasising simplicity and accessibility.
In February 2025, Pope Francis was hospitalised at Rome's Gemelli Hospital due to a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. His condition was critical, and he required intensive medical treatment, including high-flow oxygen therapy and blood transfusions.
Despite these challenges, he made a brief public appearance on Easter Sunday, blessing the crowds from a hospital balcony.
The Vatican confirmed that he sadly passed at 7.35 local time this morning, and the Archbishop of Liverpool has paid tribute to the “kind and welcoming” priest and bishop.
In a statement on Monday, the Archbishop of Liverpool - The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP - said: “Brother and sisters, it is with a sense of deep sadness with thanksgiving to God for a life lived in the Lord’s service, that we have learned today of the death of our Holy Father Pope Francis.
“From the first moments of his pontificate, as a bishop from the peripheries on 13 March 2013, he has impacted the minds and hearts of many in the world seeking that we should all be “fratelli tutti” - brothers and sisters together, int his our common home.
“The Catholic Church has lost its universal Pastor, and so today we pray for his eternal rest, we thank God for the much good he has done, and we pray for the Cardinals as they move to elect another successor of Saint Peter to continue to guide and lead the Church in 2025.
“I have many fond memories of meeting him, most recently in January at the first general audience of the Jubilee Year.
“I will remember him as a kind and welcoming priest and bishop. Francis asked everyone who met him to never to forget to pray for him - let us assure him of our prayers that he would finally meet the good shepherd and gentle judge he so zealously served.”
Pope Francis recently appointed Bishop John Sherrington as the next Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool. He will officially transition from the Diocese of Westminster to succeed the Archbishop McMahon on May 27.