CCSTP member organisations join Catholics and people of goodwill worldwide to mourn the death of Pope Francis and give thanks for his legacy.
“His teaching has been an inspiration to the Church and those in the Church,” said Raymond Friel, CEO of Caritas Social Action Network.
“Lke the 165 Caritas national agencies worldwide, or the 50 Catholic charities in England and Wales that make up the Caritas Social Action Network – who work on the front line of human suffering and exclusion, he was always clear that action for social justice, to build the bonds of social friendship in the face of division, was a core part of the Gospel.
“In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, he said, ‘An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better that we found it.’ (#183).” Read his full article here.
Catholic development agency CAFOD, highlighted 12 moments from his 12 years as Pope, saying “Pope Francis’s influence on the world – and CAFOD’s work – has been enormous.
“He reminded us that the earth is a gift to be cherished and called us to act as stewards of our common home. He drew attention to the suffering of refugees – warning against the Mediterranean being allowed to become ‘a vast cemetery’ – and even as he faced ill health towards the end of his life, he was tireless in calling out governments on the unfair debt crisis facing lower-income countries.”
Professor Anna Rowlands, Chair of the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice, described his death as "a moment which feels very brittle and fragile on the global stage. I think he'll be mourned as a figure who's got that kind of moral leadership, who had real character, and who was able to speak, without constant caveat, about basic human moral obligations." Read more from Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies.