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Christ is risen!
“Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.” (Psalm 65:4)
It is with both deep sorrow and unwavering hope in the resurrection that we received the news of the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, on Easter Day, 21 April 2025. On this holiest of days, when we celebrate the triumph of life over death through our Risen Lord, the earthly journey of a faithful servant of God came to its close and his eternal rest began – in the peace of Christ, in the love of the Father, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit.
Together with the entire Roman Catholic Church, we at the World Council of Churches mourn the loss of an extraordinary shepherd of the People of God. Pope Francis will be remembered with gratitude and love by Christians and all people of good will around the world – as a spiritual father who embodied humility, compassion, and a deep commitment to justice, peace, and unity. His promotion of the synodal way as a means of “listening in the Spirit” profoundly impacted the life of the Roman Catholic Church and extended beyond it, offering a model of discernment, dialogue, and inclusive participation for churches and ecumenical communities worldwide, seeking renewal and deeper communion in the Holy Spirit.
Throughout his ministry, Pope Francis offered a prophetic voice for our times. His witness to the Gospel, his heartfelt call for Christian unity, and his tireless advocacy for the marginalized have left an indelible mark on the global Christian community. His ecumenical vision and pastoral writings will continue to inspire clergy, theologians, and lay people across confessions for generations to come.
Pope Francis lived his life in full devotion to God and the Church, tirelessly building bridges of dialogue—between Christians, between faith traditions, and between the Church and the wider world. He showed us that peace begins with people, with relationships, and with the courage to embrace one another in friendship and love.
We recall with gratitude Pope Francis’s historic visit to the World Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in 2018, a moment that symbolized his deep commitment to Christian unity. His vision of ecumenism as a pilgrimage – a journey undertaken together by all who seek justice, peace, and reconciliation – resonated deeply with the World Council of Churches’ Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. Since 2022, this shared journey continues as the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity, to which Pope Francis’ life and ministry gave powerful witness. The WCC leadership appreciated special private meetings with Pope Francis to discuss matters of mutual ecumenical interest and concerns.
We also remember that the year 2025 holds special significance for the global Church, as the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year – a time of renewal, grace, and reconciliation. At the same time, the World Council of Churches marks 2025 as the Ecumenical Year, commemorating together with the global Church 1700 years since the First Ecumenical Council. In this kairos moment, the legacies of Pope Francis – his call to unity, his pastoral compassion, and his vision of synodality – represent a spiritual convergence between these two symbolic milestones, calling the people of God to deeper communion, mutual recognition, and shared witness in the world. Notably, Pope Francis was also a committed advocate for a common date of Easter for all Christians, a sign of his deep hope for visible unity among the churches. It is therefore deeply symbolic that he passed away in the very year when all Christians celebrates the Feast of the Resurrection on the same day – an occasion he longed and prayed for.
In the light of these meaningful convergences and symbolic fulfilments, we now commend his soul to the mercy and light of the Most Holy Trinity, giving thanks to Christ Jesus, who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.” (John 11:25)
On behalf of the World Council of Churches, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends, collaborators in the Vatican, to the entire Roman Catholic Church, and to the whole ecumenical family.
May the legacy of Pope Francis continue to guide us on the path of unity, justice, and love.
In the peace and light of the Risen Lord,
Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay
General Secretary
Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm
Moderator
World Council of Churches
