Catholic Religious Australia, the peak representative body for almost 4500 sisters, brothers and priests who belong to religious orders, expressed deep sorrow on the death of Pope Francis.
“We share in the mourning of the Catholic community and of so many other people all over the world upon hearing the news of the death of Pope Francis”, CRA president Br Gerard Brady said.
“Pope Francis’s leadership was committed to the poor and the marginalised of this world. In his exhortations he challenged the current global economic and social structures that impacted on them specifically.
“He exuded a pastor’s patience and compassion amidst the everyday ‘chaos’ that so often characterises human living.
“He often led by way of concrete, practical gestures and was not afraid to depart from ecclesiastical protocol and to make extensive use of pastoral language to reach people’s hearts,” he said.
CRA’s national executive director Ann Walker described Pope Francis as a “man of deep faith and love for all God’s creation” who “challenged the faithful to transform their Church and the world in so many ways: to welcome migrants, to protect our endangered planet, to work for peace, to dialogue with people of all faiths and to be a more inclusive, welcoming Church”.
By Fr Quyen Vu SJ, the provincial of the Jesuits in Australia, said the late Pope’s “service has been an example to all the faithful, and to all people of goodwill”.
“Along with the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, with Jesuits around the world, and with the whole Church, I pray in thanksgiving for Pope Francis’s life and in petition for the eternal rest of his soul.
“Pope Francis has led the Catholic Church with deep holiness.”
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Australian Catholic Religious mourn the death of Francis, the pastoral Pope (Catholic Religious Australia)
He led the Church with great holiness (Australian Jesuits)
