“The Church of the Algarve wishes to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man, who brought a fresh, renewed perspective to so many issues, drawing the attention not only of Catholics but of everyone, to the need for fraternity, respect for others and the planet, and the integration of the peripheries,” the prelate emphasized.
The bishop of the Algarve announced that on Tuesday, at 7:00 PM, at Faro Cathedral, he will preside over a memorial mass for Pope Francis, urging Christians to follow the example of Pope Francis and St. Francis (from whom he adopted his name), and to strive for the “values of humility, encounter, and justice.”
Meanwhile, the bishop of Viana do Castelo, João Lavrador, who admitted being shaken by the news of the Pope’s death, expressed gratitude for his attention to the peripheries, his smiles, his visits to Portugal, reminding the world that it is a common home, not a battlefield, promoting forgiveness as a means to avoid continuing to inject “the energy of revenge” into society, and for his promotion of synodality and fraternity.
“Thank you for everything, everything, everything,” he stated.
According to João Lavrador, in a world that appears so divided and violent, Pope Francis taught the power of fragility.
“The Pope is the best of us all; he leaves no inheritances, no legacies, only tasks, leaving us the Church and the far reaches of the world,” he noted.
In this spirit, the bishop requested that all communities ring their bells on Tuesday at 12:00 PM, and for all to participate on Thursday at 6:00 PM in a mass at the Cathedral of Viana do Castelo in prayer for the Pope.
Pope Francis passed away today at the age of 88, after a 12-year pontificate characterized by efforts against sexual abuse, wars, and a pandemic.
Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, Francis was the first Jesuit to rise to the leadership of the Catholic Church.
Francis had been hospitalized for 38 days due to bilateral pneumonia, from which he was discharged on March 23. His last public appearance was on Easter Sunday at the Vatican, the day before his death.
