Tributes to Pope Francis have been made by churches of the Anglican Communion worldwide, following his death announced by the Vatican on Monday 21st April.
Following a difficult recovery from respiratory illness, Pope Francis continued to serve until his last day. Reports indicate that he visited inmates at a prison on Thursday 17 April, had a brief audience with US Vice President, JD Vance, on Easter Sunday and addressed crowds with an Easter message of hope from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica just hours before his death.
There have been many messages of condolence from Anglican sisters and brothers across the globe. Anglican News has compiled a summary of some of the statements.
The Anglican Communion
The Right Reverend Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, celebrated the Pope’s commitment to working for Christian unity, saying that, “Pope Francis has sought to foster greater unity among Christians. His commitment to dialogue, understanding and shared mission has opened new avenues of collaboration between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. We have walked together on the way towards healing the wounds of division and towards the unity that Christ desires for His Church.”
The Secretary General’s statement also offered words of condolence: “Anglicans join with millions around the oikoumene, and with all people of goodwill, in giving thanks to God for Pope Francis. We offer our condolences to our sisters and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church. We pray God’s blessing on us all and on all who, like Pope Francis, try to follow Christ in the strength of the Holy Spirit.” Read the full statement.
Anglican Centre in Rome
The Right Reverend Anthony Ball, Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See, released a statement highlighting Pope Francis’ commitment to the unity of the church and supporting those who feel marginalised.
Anthony Ball stated, “His tireless efforts to work to promote the flourishing of the most marginalised, to reach out to those who feel forgotten and to advocate for the proper stewardship of God’s creation are amongst the charisms that have led him to be held in such affection. The Anglican Centre in Rome and those we represent have particular cause to be grateful for his generosity of spirit and commitment to fostering greater unity and collaboration.” Read the full statement.
Europe
The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, who has been covering many of the duties of the Archbishop of Canterbury during the interregnum period, released a statement following the death of Pope Francis. He reflected, “Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve. We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.” Read the full statement.
The Right Reverend Robert Innes, Bishop of Gibraltar in the Diocese in Europe, reflects that “Pope Francis has been a true friend to the Anglican Church and to the Diocese in Europe. I experienced first hand his commitment to working ecumenically. I had the privilege of accompanying him on his visit to All Saints Rome in 2017 for the 200th anniversary of the founding of this Anglican community. He was the first Pontiff to step inside an Anglican church in his own diocese. He modelled warmth and affection and addressed us all with generosity and grace.” Read the full statement.
Lambeth Palace issued a statement in which thanks were given for “his ministry to millions of Christians around the world”, and went on to say, “We pray for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters as they mourn his death. May Pope Francis rest in peace and rise in glory.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, reflected that Pope Francis led “with courage and compassion, with insight and inspiration.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh, observed, “Pope Francis was manifestly a modest man of immovable faith who felt no need to cling frantically onto old certainties which no longer served God or His People”. Read the full statement.
The Right Reverend Graham Usher, Bishop of Norfolk, shared, “I was privileged to meet Pope Francis twice in Rome, most recently just this January, when his eyes sparkled with warmth and prayerful attentiveness. As we mourn Pope Francis’ life, my prayer is that he will rest in the fullness of God’s Resurrection hope and love, and that we will carry forward his mission as we seek environmental justice for people and nature.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, wrote in his statement, “After his life of devotion to our Saviour Jesus Christ, may Pope Francis rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon him.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church & Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, reflected, “When the Anglican Primates met in Rome last year, he spent time talking to us, listened to the questions we asked and he answered us. This positive dialogue encouraged us all and we felt able to share with him our thoughts, as he did with us. This was clearly one of his gifts that enabled such conversations to take place between many of the world’s churches. May he now rest in Peace.” Read the full statement.
North America
The Most Reverend Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, observed that “Throughout his life and ministry, he has been a witness for the Gospel and a champion for the poor and marginalized. Especially in this season, I give thanks for his powerful advocacy on behalf of migrants and refugees. Pope Francis, who was the first Latin American pope, understood these siblings in Christ are never at the edges, fearful and alone.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Anne Germond, Bishop of Algoma and Moosonee, Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, stated, “With the faithful around the world, we join our hearts in prayer for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome. We pray that the consolation of God’s love will be with our siblings in the Catholic Church who mourn their spiritual leader, remembered as ‘the people’s Pope’.” Read the full statement.
In a joint statement from Mexico, the Most Reverend Enrique Treviño Cruz, the Right Reverend Alba Sally Sue Hernández García and the Right Reverend Oscar Pulido García prayed “Eternal rest grant unto Francis, Bishop of Rome; And let perpetual light shine upon him.” Read the full statement.
Central America
La Iglesia Episcopal de Guatemala offered a message of “solidarity and empathy at this moment of sadness and pain for the death of Pope Francis.” Read the full statement.
The Right Reverend Philip Wright, Acting Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies and Bishop of Belize, offered a prayer in his Easter Monday Noonday Prayer. “We want to join our Catholic sisters and brothers in giving God thanks for his life and witness.” See the full statement.
The Most Reverend Juan David Alvarado Melgar, the Primate of Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America and Bishop of El Salvador, expressed his “deep regrets” on the passing of “…a great pastor and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. On behalf of the Anglican Episcopal Church of El Salvador and the Province of IARCA, I extend to the Holy See and the entire Catholic Church our deepest condolences on the passing of our beloved Pope Francis.”
South America
A statement was released from Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil saying that Pope Francis was “a pastor whose witness of faith, ecumenical life, humility and compassion have reached millions of people. We recognise his deep commitment to the Gospel and to the ecumenical movement, justice, mercy, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation - values that also guide our mission.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Brian Williams, Primate of the Anglican Church of South America and Bishop of Argentina, issued a statement saying, “We give thanks for the life of Pope Francis, a man of God who walked among those he served with humility and grace. His life was a living witness to the Gospel, showing that faith is not only believed, but lived. He was a tireless advocate for the poor and marginalised, a bridge-builder in an often divided world, and a beacon of compassion and hope who offered strength and comfort in the darkest of times.”
Africa
The Most Reverend Jackson Ole Sapit, Primate and Archbishop of All Kenya, observed Pope Francis’ passing with reverence, stating, “He was a courageous voice in our time; especially on climate justice, care for the poor, and the dignity of every human being. His encyclical Laudato Si’ awakened the global Church to its responsibility for creation. I was privileged to meet him, a moment I will always treasure. His humility, warmth, and deep pastoral heart spoke volumes. In him, I saw a true servant of Christ.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of Southern Africa, shared that he was “deeply grateful to him for holding before us the image of the church as a field hospital, and for the incredible ways in which he embraced the marginalised, begging priests to identify with them as ‘shepherds living with the smell of the sheep’” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Vicente Msosa, Presiding Bishop of Igreja Anglicana de Mozambique e Angola and Bishop of Zambezia Missionary Diocese, stated, “In solidarity, we unite our hearts in prayer with our brothers and sisters of the Roman Catholic Church in this time of mourning.”
The Most Reverend Dr Justin Badi Arama, Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and the Metropolitan Bishop of the diocese of Juba, reflected on the role of Pope Francis in calling for an end to conflict in Sudan. He wrote in a statement, “Pope Francis rendered a remarkable witness to peace in South Sudan, manifesting deep pastoral concern for the suffering of its people. His commitment to reconciliation was most poignantly expressed in April 2019, when he convened South Sudanese leaders for a spiritual retreat at the Vatican, and in an extraordinary gesture of humility, knelt to kiss their feet, exhorting them to pursue the path of peace and reconciliation.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Ezekiel Kondo, Archbishop of the Province of Sudan & Bishop of Khartoum, shared that “The Catholic Church and the entire Church of God in the world has lost one of the great leaders of the time. He served his Lord until the end of his life, We give thanks to God for his life and his faithful service. May the Lord comfort all the faithful, particularly, the Catholic Church.” Read the full statement.
The Middle East
The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum, President Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, and Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, stated that he, “the Clergy, Institutions, and the parishes of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, share with the Catholic Church and the entire world sincere feelings of condolences and sympathy on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.” Read the full statement.
Asia
The Most Reverend Nestor Poltic, Prime Bishop of The Episcopal Church in the Philippines, shared, “In this time of loss, we lift up our prayers for the Roman Catholic Church and all who are affected by Pope Francis' passing. May his legacy of peace, compassion, and unity continue to guide our shared mission as we strive to embody Christ's love for all people.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Andrew Chan, Archbishop of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui & Bishop of Western Kowloon, reflected, “As we mourn for Pope Francis' passing, I pray that Christians worldwide will take it to heart to follow his most virtuous and Christian example, and shine forth with the light of Christ in our lives as brightly as the late Pope did with his.”
Oceania
The Primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, the Most Reverend Don Tamihere, the Most Reverend Sione Ulu'ilakepa and the Most Reverend Justin Duckworth issued a joint statement. They reflected that “Pope Francis, the first Latin American and the first non-European Pope in over a thousand years, brought a fresh and inspiring voice that resonated across the world.
“He invited us all into brave, grace-filled conversations about the pain of war, the struggles of identity, the injustice on those least responsible for climate change, and the deep wounds of abuse. He called us to respond with faith and compassion. That legacy will endure.” Read the full statement.
The Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, Primate of Australia, Archbishop of Adelaide and Metropolitan of South Australia, shared, “I join billions of Christians around the world in thanking God for the life and ministry of Pope Francis. Francis ministered as Pope with great humility, humanity and a real focus on trying to follow the way of Jesus.” Read the full statement.