ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY MOURNS DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the death of His Holiness Pope Francis is a great loss for the Roman Catholic Church, as it is for the entire global Church, which he says has benefitted from his warmth, wisdom and ministry over the past 12 years.

In a statement on the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, Lambeth Palace noted that: "we cherish the strong bond between Popes and Archbishops of Canterbury - the fruit of many decades of ecumenical dialogue."

It further noted that during meetings of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission in Rome, on the joint pilgrimage to South Sudan in 2023, and recently with the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Rome, Pope Francis was a tireless champion of the strong ecumenical bonds formed between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, and we give thanks for his ministry to millions of Christians around the world.

"His strong commitment to reconciliation, to peace, and to the poor and to refugees, served as an important call to action, as he fearlessly modelled the love, humility and service of Jesus Christ. We pray for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters as they mourn his death. May Pope Francis rest in peace and rise in glory."