It is with deep sorrow that we, the Jesuits of the Southern Africa Province, receive the news of Pope Francis’s death, the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the Universal Church.
As Jesuits, we mourn the loss of a brother and a father to many people. Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope in the history of the Church, embodied with profound humility the spirituality and mission of the Society of Jesus. His leadership, marked by compassion, discernment, and tireless commitment to the poor and the marginalised, has inspired and challenged us to live our call as “men for others more authentically.”
We in the Southern Africa Province were especially blessed to welcome Pope Francis to Mozambique in September 2019. His presence brought hope, healing, and joy to a region marked by hardship, reminding us of the Church’s closeness to the suffering and its unwavering mission of reconciliation and peace.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis continually reminded us of our responsibility to care for creation, to stand with those on the peripheries, and to be a Church that goes forth. His encyclicals Evangelii Gaudium, Laudato Si’, and Fratelli Tutti remain prophetic calls to conversion for our world today.
As we commend his soul to the eternal embrace of our loving God, we give thanks for the gift of his life and ministry. We pray in solidarity with the Universal Church and with all people of goodwill who were touched by his witness of faith, hope, and love.
May Pope Francis rest in peace, and may his vision of a more merciful and inclusive Church continue to guide us on our pilgrim journey.
[Original: English]
See also:
- Pope Francis dies at 88 | Father General’s message
- The life of Pope Francis through the eyes of his Jesuit brothers
- Pope Francis, a Shepherd to the end