Pope Francis was a champion of the poor and environment who ‘breathed life into Catholic Church’
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00:00Pope Francis was a man of remarkable humility, compassion and courage. From the moment the white
00:07smoke emerged and then from when he did step out onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica,
00:13he captured the hearts of millions, not with grandeur but with simplicity. He was a pontiff
00:19of the people who walked among the poor, spoke for the marginalised and never shied away from
00:27challenging injustice, even within his own church. He reminded us that faith isn't just
00:34something that we practice in prayer but something that we must live out in action and how we treat
00:40the vulnerable, the neighbour, the stranger and indeed the earth itself. His encyclical Laudato
00:49Sea will stand as a lasting legacy in the fight for climate justice, urging us all to care for
00:56our common home. He was fearless in his calls for peace in Palestine. Here in Ireland and
01:04especially but by no means again as we've heard and seen today exclusively among the Catholic
01:11community in the north, Pope Francis was a source of spiritual strength and guidance. His 2018 visit to
01:19our shores rekindled hope, healing and dialogue, a message that we all still desperately need to hear
01:29and to give. May God have mercy on his noble soul. He leaves behind a world where the conflict continues between
01:43darkness and light and all of us, whatever our faith, if we have any faith at all, should strive to carry on his torch of tenderness and compassion.
01:55On Easter Sunday morning, I watched Arby at Arby on television when it is customary that a papal address is given to the world to celebrate Easter and the resurrection.
02:11Whilst Pope Francis, because of his failing health delegated the papal address to Archbishop Diego Rivelli, he himself blessed the thousands in St Peter's Square and to the tens of thousands worldwide who watched on television.
02:29Not only did Pope Francis wish a happy Easter to all present, but he also insisted on being taken amongst the people, where he was taken through the crowds, waving and blessing all in attendance.
02:43Pope Francis was a Pope of the people to his very last breath.
02:49Whilst it was obvious the Pope's declining health, it still came as a shock to many on Easter Monday when the Pope's death was announced.
02:58The people's Pope, in his twelve year tenure, is renowned for his humility, his devotion to his faith, his effort to open doors within the church to those previously ignored or shunned, and his efforts to reach out to the marginalized, dispossessed and the poor.
03:20Pope Francis was a pope of peace.
03:21Pope Francis was a pope of peace, and he had taken his message, the Christian message, to many corners of the world where he met many political leaders, leaders of other faiths and those of no faith.
03:35It is ironic that on the occasion of his funeral, a productive meeting between the President of America and Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine, took place in the pursuit of a ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
03:54An end to this war was very dear to Pope Francis' heart, as was his desire for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza.
04:05Pope Francis showed his concern for immigrants, an issue which has worldwide implications, and he criticised those countries who shunned migrants.
04:16The Pope said, people cross borders looking for better life. Is this not what we all want for our children? Are we not all the same people?
04:28In 2018, when Pope Francis visited Ireland, I attended with my wife in the Phoenix Park, the papal mass where I heard the Pope's words of encouragement when he asked us not to be indifferent to the less fortunate, something he exemplified throughout his tenure as Pope.
04:49Even to the day of his funeral, even to the day of his funeral, even to the day of his funeral, when he ensured, a special place was reserved for the marginalized and the homeless amongst all the world leaders and dignitaries in attendance.
05:02As we say in Irish, we won't see his likes again, but we do hope that whoever is appointed as the next Pope will follow in the same direction that Pope Francis has led his church.
05:19I thank you for the opportunity today to contribute a tribute to Pope Francis.
05:28I rise today to put on record my sadness and that of my constituents and those across this island following the passing of his holiness, Pope Francis.
05:36In my opinion, the late Pope Francis embodied everything that the world needs right now.
05:41The importance of seeking to understand each other, the importance of tolerance, of needing to walk in each other's shoes, and respecting both different religions and different cultures.
05:51For many, including myself, we feel strongly that Pope Francis breathed life into the Catholic Church.
05:57Pope Francis devoted his life to Christ and chose the name of Francis due to his love of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, known for his commitment to helping and uplifting the poor.
06:09As a practicing Catholic myself, I greatly admire his commitment to building a church based on inclusion and respect,
06:16focusing on bringing young people closer to Christ and acting as a progressive Pope welcoming of all.
06:23Lastly, having been raised in a place like this, shaped by conflict, I greatly admired his commitment and courage with regards to peace building in the Middle East.
06:32Recognising that one murdered Israeli, one murdered Palestinian is too many.
06:38His commitment to speaking with and praying for persecuted Christians across the globe speaks to the type of man that he was.
06:47I hope that his final wish, one that he spoke of until his final days, his wish for peace in the Middle East soon becomes a reality.
06:56May he rest in peace.
06:57May he rest in peace.
06:58May he rest in peace.
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07:22May he rest in peace.
07:23May he rest in peace.