Death of Pope Francis will be 'deeply felt' in Laois parishes

Pope Francis was a kind, courageous, and gentle pastor whose loss will be deeply felt in Laois parishes within the Diocese of Ossory, according to Bishop Niall Coll.

The Bishop, who leads Laois Catholics in communities such as Rathdowney, Durrow and Borris-in-Ossory, issued a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live in the wake of the death of the Argentinian on Easter Monday.

"We have a sense of gratitude to God for the great leadership he has given to the Church over the course of his long papacy, and this is deeply felt in Ossory and throughout Ireland. The first Latin-American to be pope, he insisted right from the start that a key focus of his pontificate would be on ‘the peripheries’.

"His preaching, teaching and travels brought him to many of the poorest and most marginalised communities on the earth to remind them of their human dignity as children of God. He urged politicians and other leaders there, and everywhere, to work for peace, justice and responsible economic development," he said.

The Donegal native highlighted the stance taken by Pope Francis on the cost of ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East.

"The plight of the peoples of Gaza, Ukraine and in so many other theatres of conflict was constantly on his lips and in his prayers. He urged an end to violence in human affairs and underlined the need for a sense of fraternity and social friendship between peoples and nations in order to build a more just and peaceful world," he said.

He also spoke about the impact of the Argentinian on the Church. Bishop Coll highlighted four themes.

"In terms of the life of the Catholic Church itself, at least four persistent themes recur in his teaching and preaching. First, the importance of Mercy, recognising that God is ever merciful and that we are called to respond to this great truth and to be merciful ourselves in our relationships with each other.

"Second, Hope – evidenced by the current ‘Jubilee Year of Hope 2025’ – underlining the need to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and thus not to give in to despair or anger.

"Third, ‘synodality, a vision of Church faithful to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) which has at its heart the need to develop a greater sense of co-responsibility in mission between clergy and people everywhere.

"Fourth, his teaching on the need to care for the earth as set out in his Laudato Si’ encyclical, a document much appreciated well beyond the bounds of church and faith, where he called for a global dialogue that would allow us to shape and care for our planet through our daily actions and decisions," he said.

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Bishop Coll concluded with what he felt was a central message communicated by the late pontiff.

"Finally, let me end with a quotation from Pope Francis that encapsulates so much about his faith, hope and love for God and his people: ‘We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.’

"Catholics, other Christians and people of goodwill everywhere will find much to reflect upon and learn from the life and teaching of Pope Francis over the years to come. May he rest in peace," he said.

The funeral will take place on Saturday, 27 April at 9am (Irish time). This will also mark the beginning of the first of nine days of mourning.