This week, people around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis.
The pope died on Monday, April 21 at his Vatican residence after suffering a stroke and subsequent heart failure. He had previously been hospitalized for a respiratory infection that turned into double pneumonia. He was 88.
Here is a roundup of what Canadian and international faith leaders and organizations have said about his life and legacy.
The United Church of Canada
Moderator Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne noted in an emailed statement April 22 that 2025 marks a “Jubilee year”— a time for forgiveness and renewal in the Catholic church. “…We are at a time of social reckoning that requires serious care and attention, community building, and community organizing. In so many ways, [Francis] showed us how to be pilgrims of hope — to reckon with the climate crisis, to advocate for the rights of migrants and the marginalized, and to root these in love and compassion above all.”
World Council of Churches
The organization highlighted how the pope spoke out against environmental degradation and global inequity.
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“Francis most notably championed a bold and unrelenting advocacy for addressing climate change and the injustices it spawns, alongside a trenchant critique of global capitalism and economic inequality,” it said in a statement.
Anglican Church of Canada
“A tireless advocate for the poor and marginalized and a godly man of peace, Pope Francis walked among those he served with humility and grace, carrying the Gospel message of compassion and hope, reminding us that faith is not only believed but lived,” wrote acting primate, Archbishop Anne Germond, in a statement.
She also spotlighted Francis’s efforts to reckon with the Catholic church’s legacy on the colonization of Indigenous peoples — in 2022, he apologized for residential schools, and in 2023, the Vatican put out a statement repudiating the doctrine of discovery.
Lutheran World Federation
General Secretary Rev. Anne Burghardt gave thanks in a statement for Pope Francis’s work on interfaith and ecumenical relations.
“As we mourn his death, we give thanks for his life and legacy of reform, renewal, unity, which opened doors of dialogue and brought the church closer to people from all walks of life,” she said in a statement on the organization’s website.
Canadian Council of Churches
President Rev. Amanda Currie and secretary Peter Noteboom wrote in a statement that the pope’s emphasis on “synodality, of walking together as Christians and churches,” had inspired the organization in its work.
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“His openness, his commitment to reconciliation, the giftedness, sacredness and dignity of life and creation, his outspoken advocacy for refugees and migrants, and solidarity with the poor will long be remembered,” they said.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
In a statement, Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, the organization’s president, said the pope wanted the Catholic church to “be close to the people, to be present in ways that reflected the mercy, forgiveness and care of Christ” and noted his “tireless” advocacy for migrants, the poor, disabled and elderly people.
“We thank God for the legacy Pope Francis has given us — one that encourages us to live our faith with greater conviction and that guides us as Christians to build relationships of trust and greater compassion with others,” he wrote.
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Emma Prestwich is Broadview’s digital and United Church in Focus editor.
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