Pope Francis dies on Easter Monday, aged 88. World leaders pay tribute

FaithInvest expresses its deep sorrow and offers condolences to the global Catholic community upon the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, announced by the Vatican this morning, Easter Monday.

Pope Francis, who was last seen in public yesterday, greeting the crowds at the Vatican's St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, was a truly global figure whose loss will be felt beyond the Catholic Church, as seen by the many tributes pouring in from around the world, including non-Catholic nations such as Iran, Israel and Palestine.

A man of humility, compassion and courage, Pope Francis was a tireless advocate for the poor, oppressed and marginalised, and an outspoken campaigner for urgent action on climate change and environmental degradation, which he linked inextricably to perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

His 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si' ('Praise him') called on all people of goodwill to 'hear the cry of the Earth and the poor', and galvanised millions of ordinary people into awareness and action on the climate crisis. His follow up 2023 document, Laudate Deum (‘Praise God’), added an increasing sense of urgency – ‘We have scarcely time to prevent even more tragic damage’ – and criticised the lack of action by governments as well as the spreading of 'false information’ to downplay climate change.

His Easter Sunday message, read by an aide on his behalf yesterday, reiterated core themes of his papacy such as his commitment to peace, 'respect for the views of others' and universal love.

Pope Francis had a huge impact on the world, not just on the 1.3 billion members of the Catholic Church. His leadership on so many of the burning issues of our times reminded us that all our actions have moral consequences. In the context of FaithInvest’s work, that includes how we use our investments and finances to create a better world.

In this, and in so many other ways, Pope Francis leaves a profound legacy.

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