“A friend of Africa”: Catholic Church Leaders Pay Heartfelt Tributes to Pope Francis, Offer Prayers

The Kenyan member of the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin (OFM Cap.) said that Pope Francis will be remembered as “a humble champion of the poor and the marginalized”, who spoke out tirelessly for migrants, the marginalized, the poor, the health of the planet, and the destitute.

“Africa bears the greatest share of these challenges and he (Pope Francis) championed on our behalf in the world stage,” Bishop Muthaka said, and added, “In one of our interactions with him, he urged us Africans not to allow anyone to look down on us.”

“Go in peace Holy Father Francis,” the Catholic Bishop of Garissa said.

For his counterpart in Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, Bishop John Mbinda, the late Pontiff was “a Pope who was simplicity itself, always focused to spearhead universal brotherhood with a dedicated option for the poor and the marginalized.”

“He was attentive to the needs of the universal church and made sure that there was no local church without it's proper shepherd,” Bishop Mbinda says in a note to ACI Africa.

The Kenyan-born members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/CSSp.) says that Pope Francis “will be remembered in Kenya for the number of new Bishops whom he appointed during his papacy filling up all vacant seats and raising Auxiliary Bishops where they were needed.”

“May God rest his soul in eternal peace, Amen,” Bishop Mbinda says.

In their tribute, Bishops in Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi said Pope Francis would be remembered most for his humility, compassion, and prophetic leadership.

Describing the Holy Father as “a shepherd to the global Church, a voice for the voiceless, and a tireless advocate for peace, mercy, and human dignity,” the Bishops in Nairobi said, in a Facebook post, “Pope Francis devoted his life to the Gospel of Christ and the service of humanity. His humility, compassion, and prophetic leadership touched countless lives across all nations and faiths.”

“At this solemn moment, we extend our deepest condolences to the Vatican, and the entire People of God. We unite in prayer with Catholics around the world as we commend his soul to the eternal embrace of our Lord,” the Kenyan Bishops said, and added, “May the light of the Resurrection, which he so faithfully preached, now shine upon him in fullness.”

The sentiments of Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo, Bishop David Kamau Ng’ang’a, and Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe were echoed by their counterparts in Zambia, who expressed their deep sorrow at the passing of the Holy Father.

In a condolence message on behalf of the members of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), Archbishop Ignatius Chama, the Chairman of the conference says in an April 21 Facebook post, “I write, on behalf of the Catholic Church in Zambia, to express our heartfelt condolences to you and indeed the Universal Church.”

The Archbishop of Zambia’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kasama adds, “We are grateful to God the Father for the gift of the Universal Shepherd who, with faith and selflessness, guided the Church of Christ for the past twelve years.”

Bishop Chama continues, “It is our confident prayer that our Savior Jesus Christ who has overcome death through His resurrection will receive Pope Francis in the heavenly Kingdom.”

Catholic Bishops in Ethiopia have also expressed their sorrow following the passing on of the Holy Father, and called for prayers for the repose of his soul. “We, all Catholics in Ethiopia, call on you to join us in praying for the eternal rest of our Holy Father,” members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) have announced in an April 21 Facebook post.

(Story continues below)

In South Africa, Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa of the Catholic Diocese of Kokstad has expressed gratitude for the pontificate of Pope Francis, and directed that Masses be offered for the repose of his soul.

“We reflect on his ministry and leadership for the Catholic Church and the world,” Bishop Victor says in a note that seen by ACI Africa in which he adds, “I call upon all our priests to offer Holy Mass for our Pope Francis, and People of God to offer prayers for our beloved late Pope.”

In Cameroon, Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of the Catholic Diocese of Buéa has invited the people of God under his pastoral care to pray for the soul of Pope Francis, reflecting on the rituals surrounding his passing.

He said that when a Pope dies, several significant actions take place, including the ringing of bells, lowering the Vatican flag at all diplomatic missions, and the destruction of the Pope's ring.

Meanwhile, Bishop Christian Carlassare of South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Bentiu has shared a prayer in which he lauds Pope Francis’ “testimony of simplicity”, his “attention to the last”, and his “courage to go against the grain of our modern society”.

Here is the full prayer that Bishop Carlassare shared with ACI Africa:

Lord Jesus, You who are the light of the world,

we thank you for the gift of Pope Francis.

Thank you for his testimony of simplicity.

Thank you for his attention to the last, the poor, the forgotten.

Thank you for the ability to speak to everyone.

Thank you for the courage to go against the grain of our modern society.

Thank you for the wisdom to call good, good and evil, evil.

 

Lord Jesus, you who made us discover divine mercy,

teach us to understand and follow the lesson of forgiveness

that has characterized the ministry of Pope Francis.

Help us to understand that there is no sin

that the good Father does not forgive, and that

He continuously calls us to conversion and love.

In fact, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

because the Father sent You not to condemn but to save.

 

Lord Jesus, who are the friend and brother of all,

thank you for the humility of Pope Francis.

Thank you for the teaching that there is no man

who can be considered superior to others.

Thank you for the hugs to the sick and the forgotten.

Thank you for having made us understand with Pope Francis

that we must love those who no one loves.

 

Lord Jesus, you who are the master of peace,

teach us to understand, as Pope Francis has always said,

that there is no just war;

that every conflict is always a defeat;

that shooting in the name of God is blasphemy;

that we must look for even the smallest means

to transform violent thoughts into a dream of peace.

 

Lord Jesus, who loves life like no one else,

teach us, as Pope Francis has testified,

that there is no existence that is not worth living;

that we are all loved by God as only children;

that every life must always be protected and defended

from conception to its natural end.

 

Lord Jesus, you who ask us to pray always,

let us learn from the example of Pope Francis

the value of dialogue between Churches and religions.

Teach us to cleanse our vocabulary of words that divide and hurt.

Guide us to be a community of believers,

who put God and not man at the center.

 

Lord Jesus, you who loved the poor, teach us to be, like Pope Francis,

men and women who live the essential

people free from the slavery of a worldly mentality

and capable of looking at others not for what they have

but for what they are and can become

in the light of the hope that is born of faith.

 

Lord Jesus, you who await us all in your Kingdom,

hold Pope Francis in your embrace,

and to us who mourn his passing

and feel the emptiness of his absence,

teach us to cherish his words and gestures

so that, strengthened by his example and his testimony,

we may know how to recognize in You the only king of our life.

Amen