By Bishop Tom Deenihan
The announcement of the death of the Holy Father on Easter Monday morning was a cause of sadness and shock, given his appearances over the past few days during the various ceremonies. At this time, I join with the priests, religious and people of the Diocese of Meath in praying for his soul, confident that the God of Mercy will welcome this faithful servant.
Like many others, I watched the news of Pope Francis’ election on television twelve years ago and there was much commentary on the Pope that came from the ‘Ends of the world’ and what type of papacy was in store. It became immediately clear that this would be a different papacy. Even the name Francis indicated a desire to put the poor, the marginalised, fraternity and ‘Sister Earth’ at the centre. Looking back now and reflecting on Pope Francis’ time as Pontiff, his choice of name was, in itself, a manifesto that he successfully lived up to.
