Monday 4-21-2025
With great sadness, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, mourn the passing of Pope Francis. His character, warmth, and deep humility, as well as the numerous contributions he has made throughout his papacy have made an enormous impact on the world, the Catholic Church, and on our lives personally.
We have been inspired by the manner in which the pope exercised leadership. He embodied the values that he held throughout his priesthood: that people who are hurting and in need must be given our highest priority, that leaders must spend time on the margins listening to those whose perspectives may differ from their own, and that we must be fearless in speaking out in the face of all that goes against gospel teachings.
We admire Pope Francis’ approach to his mission. An excellent communicator, he was able to share his vision for the church and for the world and engage others in the work to bring the vision to reality. He consistently sought the counsel of advisors from around the world and had the skills to build coalitions to take on the work to reform what needed urgent change. This was seen most dramatically in the way he shaped and led the 2024 Synod on Synodality that emphasized the essential role of the inclusion of all voices, communal discernment, and collaboration.
Pope Francis led from a place of both simplicity and savvy. An astute moral leader, he knew how to use his influence to bring about change and was fearless in speaking out publicly even when he knew there would be resistance to his message. He tirelessly took on the mission of loving the whole world – making difficult journeys to remote areas of many nations; visiting migrant camps, hospitals, prisons, and shelters; and most recently, maintaining daily contact with a parish in Gaza. He generously carried in his heart and prayer every bit of the suffering to which he was exposed. He gave to the world a public face of a church that was welcoming and inclusive – a church that strove to be a true “field hospital.”
Pope Francis embraced his role as a global leader and used his influence to impact all people, not only Catholics. His work to confront climate change, income inequality, and many other social injustices will live on. His encyclicals, particularly Dilexit nos, Fratelli tutti, and Laudato si’ as well as his apostolic exhortations such as Laudate Deum, Gaudate et exsultate, and Evangelii Gaudium, will remain important texts that will guide our thinking and prayer for many years to come.
With the world, we offer our prayer of gratitude for Pope Francis, a man who fully embodied the life and message of Jesus Christ and gave of his all to bringing about the Reign of God on this earth.
Contact: Sister Annmarie Sanders, IHM
LCWR Director of Communications
asanders@lcwr.org
original article
Prayer on the Death of Pope Francis
Gracious God,You know our needs even before we ask
and heed our faltering prayers, spoken and unspoken.
Hear our voice above the murmurs
of sorrow for it is the voice of confusion
seeking your still small voice of calm.
Hear our voice as we give thanks for your faithful servant
for it is the voice of praise
joining with sadness and joy.
Hear our voice as we pray for the future
for it is a voice of hope
longing to see your Church made whole.
Hear our voice as we watch with those who deliberate
for it is the voice of humility
asking for their wisdom and discernment.
Hear our voice as we pray in solidarity with the poor
for it is the voice of peace
searching for justice.
O God, hear the voice of the voiceless
for it is the voice of silence
crying out from the cross
through whom your Spirit may be heard
and your will be recognised.
For Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen.
Words by Annabel Shilson-Thomas
The entire Church mourns the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.
In cathedrals, basilicas, parish churches, shrines, and chapels, the Holy Eucharist will be offered for the repose of his soul. Communities and individuals will ask God to bestow His infinite mercy on the man who served the Church as Bishop of Rome.
This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during this time. The daily novena—lasting for the novendiales period as directed by the College of Cardinals—consists of a short reading from Scripture or other ecclesiastical texts, along with brief prayers drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals.
PDF downloads of the novena are available in both English and Spanish.
