We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Pope Francis on the morning of the 21st April. Amongst all that he brought to us, we will remember his tireless exhortations to pursue peace, disarmament and nonviolence, justice for the poor and oppressed, love for the stranger and for the integrity of creation.
We would like this page to act as a virtual Book of Remembrance to gather the reflections of our members and supporters of what Pope Francis meant to them. If you would like to add something to the page, please email us on info@paxchristi.org.uk
‘Despite my sadness on the death of Pope Francis, I am so glad to have been alive at the same time as such a great ‘servant leader’, through whom we have heard the voice of Christ, turning over the tables in our modern temples of arms manufacture and over consumption, siding with the poor and never losing the gaze of love for the individual or his deep sense of peace and joy. His example and his words are a great gift to the world and especially to all in the ‘peace movement’.’
Kathryn Lydon, Chair
‘In 2017 I attended the now famous Vatican-hosted conference on nuclear weapons. Here, Pope Francis made the statement that the very possession of nuclear weapons, and not only their use, had to be condemned. After years of campaigning this was a breakthrough, drawing the line under the legitimacy of the nuclear deterrent.
However, what stays with me most is a personal experience of meeting him. An audience was held of all participants in the Conference, from Nobel Peace Prize folk to NGOS such as Pax Christi. There must have been more than 200 people in the room. He chose to greet each one of us in person. He did not need to do this but chose to do so. His interest in the person, his pastoral role shone through. This to me is a feature of nonviolence, being people focused while being free to challenge structures when they create injustice and violence. I love the photograph of this encounter. We look as though we were old friends, meeting after a long absence.’
Pat Gaffney, Vice President
‘When Pope Francis first appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s in March 2013, bowed his head, and asked us to pray for him, everything about the Papacy changed. Here was a Pope daring, for the first time, to take the name ‘Francis’ – a saint synonymous with love of the poor, care of creation, peacemaking, and living the Gospel in word and deed.
Very soon Pope Francis was calling us to be a ‘poor church for the poor.’ Then came his encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ – On Care for our Common Home’, challenging us to hear the cry of the Earth. Pope Francis declared that even the manufacturing and possession of nuclear weapons, never mind their use, was a sin – and the Vatican State was amongst the first nations to sign the ‘Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons’.
Like St Francis his actions spoke louder than words – washing the feet of prisoners, making his home in Santa Marta rather than the Vatican Palace, listening to the Hibakusha, survivors of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even as his health failed, phoning the Christian community in Gaza every evening.
Pope Francis gift to Pax Christi, and to the world, has been to model what it means to be a ‘peacemaker’ and to follow the way of the nonviolent Jesus.
May we nurture this gift in our prayer, dare to proclaim the Gospel of nonviolence authentically in our lives, and open our hearts to the guidance of the Spirit.
Pope Francis – prophet of peace – friend of the poor – pray for us. Amen
Sr Katrina Alton – Chaplain to Pax Christi England and Wales
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Today, Monday, 21 April 2025, we, the members of Pax Christi International (PCI), our friends, and those we serve across the globe, share with you, and with all the people of the world, this great loss, while holding on to the hope of the resurrection.
At the news of Pope Francis’ passing, it is not only the Catholic Church that is in mourning, it is humanity as a whole. With his departure, we do not simply honour the defender of an institution, but one who stood for the human person. From the very beginning of his pontificate, he reminded us that the Church’s centre of gravity is found on the peripheries. In the early days of his ministry, he travelled to Lampedusa to visit the graveyard of migrants, laying wreaths upon the Mediterranean Sea as upon a tomb.
We feel deep sorrow at the loss of a shepherd who not only “smelt of the sheep” but also modelled for us what it means to live the Gospel of nonviolence through his words and deeds of love and care for the poor, the sick, the lonely, the abandoned, the rejected, the displaced, the misunderstood, and all those who continue to experience war and violent conflict in different parts of the world.
He sought to defend creation, not only for the sake of humanity, but also for God, the Creator, as expressed in his encyclical Laudato Si’. He promoted human fraternity as the key to the meeting of peoples in Fratelli tutti. He chose as the emblem of his ministry a pectoral cross depicting the Good Shepherd carrying his sheep, and in doing so, inspired many bishops who are conscious of their responsibilities as shepherds.
In his last Easter message of 2025, Pope Francis, amid his own illness and vulnerability, did not forget to share words of encouragement and hope for those suffering in various parts of our world. He also invited us: “On this day, to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different from ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas… For all of us are children of God!”
His message, as always, was one of love, mercy, compassion, and hope: “Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon himself all the evil in this world and, in his infinite mercy, has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side. The Lamb of God is victorious! That is why, today, we can joyfully cry out: ‘Christ, my hope, has risen!’” (Easter Sequence)
What a great message you have left us to help us continue this journey, despite the sorrow in our hearts today as you leave us and return to be with God, whom you loved, lived, served, and shared with the whole world.
Pax Christi wishes to honour Pope Francis for having clearly reminded the Church of its Gospel direction: not to serve an institution, but to serve humanity.
May you enjoy the fullness of life with God, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Go well, our loving, merciful, and compassionate shepherd.
Today, as we reflect on your great, inspiring, and heartfelt message, “together with the Risen Jesus”, you have become a “pilgrim of hope, witness of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of life,” having surrendered your whole life to God, who created you and called you to live and serve among us here on earth.
Pax Christi International Co-Presidents: Bishop (Emeritus) Marc Stenger and Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira
