Statement from the Catholic Diocese of Lancaster upon the death of our Holy Father Pope Francis.It is with great sadness that we learned this morning of the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, following a period of ill-health. Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis made a brief appearance at St Peter's Square to bless thousands of people gathered in Rome to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.
We are deeply grateful for the life and service of Pope Francis. While we mourn his loss, we are thankful for his steadfast witness and legacy.
His life of discipleship, and then leadership, within the Church saw him accept responsibility from the Lord as a Jesuit, a priest, a bishop, and finally as successor to St Peter. His firm resolve and challenging teaching on issues including care for creation, the sexual abuse of children, and insights into intimacy of human relationships, saw the Pope broaden opportunities for dialogue within the church, and with people and groups from outside of the Catholic Church.
Masses for the repose of the Pope’s soul will be offered across the churches of our Diocese in the coming days. We entrust Pope Francis to the Father of all mercies and pray for the happy repose of his soul. Please remember Pope Francis in your prayers.
On Monday 21st April 2025 at 6.30pm Evening Prayer for the Dead will be recited in the Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster, followed by a Requiem Mass at 7.00pm to which all are invited. Following this, the cathedral bell ringers will ring a quarter peal muffled.
An announcement will follow in due course regarding a diocesan mass in the cathedral, to which ecumenical and civic guests will be invited.
