We share with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters our sadness on hearing of the death of Pope Francis, and we also share our thanksgiving to God for his life and teaching, his ecumenical outlook, his passion for those poor and disadvantaged and his concern for the earth – all rooted in his profound faith in Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
For a national Church of England statement by the Archbishop of York, please see here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/statement-following-death-pope-francis
I have written to Bishop Peter of the Diocese of East Anglia.
Please pray especially at this time for our Roman Catholic friends with whom we are united this Eastertide in resurrection faith.
There is so much more that could be said about Pope Francis and no doubt will be said in the coming days. For now, we simply pray – may he rest in peace and rise in glory.
+Dagmar