Advertisement
Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Bishops across Africa have issued directives in their respective Dioceses, encouraging special prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis who passed on Easter Monday, April 21 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Ndola in Zambia has declared a period of mourning following the passing on of Pope Francis, and suspended major activities it had lined up before the Easter Monday news was made public.
The Vatican on Tuesday released the first photos of Pope Francis after his death, showing him dressed in red vestments and lying in a simple, wooden coffin inside the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse.
Catholic Bishops in Africa have expressed sorrow at the passing on of Pope Francis, remembering him as an inspirational leader, whose pontificate of peace and inclusivity was felt by many across the continent, resulting in a positive and memorable impression.
The Church in Africa has been thrown into deep mourning following the passing on of Pope Francis, with Church leaders on the continent describing the late Holy Father as a voice for the voiceless, a tireless advocate for peace and human dignity, and most especially, “a friend of Africa”.
Catholic Bishops in Portuguese-speaking Africa (Lusophone Africa) have paid glowing tribute to late Pope Francis, who passed on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta at the age of 88.
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has decried the many atrocities in the West African nation, which he says is “gradually” turning into a vast “national morgue” owing to the multiple victims of attacks.
The Archbishop of Bangui Archdiocese in the Central African Republic (CAR) has condemned acts of brutality reportedly committed by members of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) against civilians and called for justice for victims and accountability.
Caritas Zambia has established Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) in the Southern African nation to curb the rise in cases of defilement and child abuse in the country.
A Catholic environmentalist has called on the Kenyan government to declare unregulated mining in the country’s western region a national disaster, citing its widespread negative consequences on the environment and the country’s socio-economic sector.
Political leaders in Nigeria who have resources at their disposal to address security challenges and are not doing so cannot be part of the celebrations around the victory of Jesus Christ over death, Easter, Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo of the country’s Oyo Catholic Diocese has said.
At the annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady in Doumelong, Bishop Paul Lontsié-Keuné of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Bafoussam has recognized the Blessed Virgin Mary as “a bearer of hope” and encouraged devotion to her.
The representative of the Holy Father in Nigeria has called upon Christians to respond to persecutions and killings targeting followers of Christ with continued prayer for the conversion of those behind the attacks.
The vices taking place in the West African nation of Nigeria have upset God to the extent that He is “weeping” for the country, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the country’s Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja has said.
Catholic Priests ministering in Mozambique’s conflict-ridden region of Cabo Delgado have been urged to be unwavering in the challenging mission.
The Diocesan Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Bafatá in Guinea-Bissau has called upon Catholic Priests in the Bissau-Guinean Diocese to celebrate the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year as “missionaries of hope”.
The commitment of Priests to communicate the Good News of the Gospel with enthusiasm is essentially important, Bishop Firmino David of the Catholic Diocese of Sumbe in Angola has said.
Catholic Priests are expected to participate in the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year as “ambassadors of hope”, Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of Malawi’s Catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre has said.
The people of God in Nigeria seem to have consumed a “tranquilizer” that is behind their silence amid deadly attacks, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has said.