With hearts full of sorrow and gratitude, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ join the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and our global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis.

We join with the rest of the world in remembering Pope Francis. We are grateful for the Gospel witness Pope Francis has been in our world and our church. He challenged all of us to live in a way that cares for Earth and for the most vulnerable in our world. We pray that we will follow the example of Pope Francis to live deeply from a prayerful place that reaches out in compassion and works for justice. We pray that our church may embody the way of synodality that Pope Francis led. 

Pope Francis leaves us a legacy of hope and prophetic witness. We give thanks for his life, his leadership, and his unwavering vision of a welcoming Church — one that, in his words, is a true “field hospital.”

May his soul rest in the eternal peace of Christ, whom he served so faithfully.

In communion and prayer,

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ

LCWR Mourns the Death of Pope Francis

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
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