TRIBUTES TO POPE FRANCIS FROM AFRICA

From Africa, many tributes have been paid to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, 21 April, for his commitment and his works. Here are just a few of them.

Episcopal Conference of Côte d’Ivoire (CECCI)

Pope Francis is a “tireless pastoral zeal and unwavering commitment to building a synodal Church and promoting global peace.” (Catholic Bishops’ Message issued April 21)

Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC)

Pope Francis was as a leader who served the Church “with profound humility, unwavering faith, and a tireless commitment to the poor, to peace, and to the care of the environment, our common home.” (…) “His life and ministry were a powerful witness to the Gospel values of love, mercy, and compassion” (Message issued April 21).

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)

Pope Francis’ pontificate was marked by “a strong emphasis on mercy, justice, and care for creation. He was a tireless advocate for migrants and refugees, promoted a more synodal Church rooted in listening and shared responsibility, and called for a culture of kindness and human fraternity,” (Message issued April 21)

His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg in South Africa:

The late Pontiff as “a great Pope and caring pastor whose life and ministry touched the world” (…) “Over the past years we have been touched by his warm smile, his courageous messages, his emphasis on mercy, his denouncement of injustice, wars and the dehumanization of people” (Message issued April 21)

Most Rev. Mgr Pascal Chane-Teng, Bishop of the Diocese of Saint-Denis, Reunion Island

Pope Francis “was courageous and well surrounded right up to the end of his life. He carried out his mission to the full (in accordance with) his motto “Miserando atque eligendo” (“Chosen with mercy”), which focuses on the mercy of Christ”. “His first name, Francis, sums up his entire pontificate: attention to others and to creation, listening lovingly to God. Pope Francis has loved to the end of his strength… Let us give thanks for his closeness and simplicity”. (Message on April 4, 2025).

Mgr Jean Michaël Durhône, Bishop of Port-Louis, Mauritius

“Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has left his mark on history through his humility, his closeness to the most vulnerable and his choice of a simple life, faithful to the Gospel. But his legacy goes far beyond his personal style. Pope Francis has undertaken major reforms to renew the Church and make it more just and inclusive. He has stepped up the fight against abuse, promoted more collegial governance and encouraged a greater role for the laity, especially women. We had the grace to welcome him to Mauritius on 9 September 2019, a sign of his closeness to the Churches on the periphery. During his visit, he asked us about young people, who are our primary mission. (Message, April 21, 2025)

Fr. Innocent Kachala, Parish of St. Kevin Pastoral Area Kabusa, Abuja Archdiocese, in Nigeria

Pope Francis “opened the doors of the Church to all. He believed in the door of mercy and worked tirelessly to reach those on the margins of society.” (…) “He visited non-Christian regions like Iraq and Iran, preaching peace and calling the world to invest not in weapons of destruction, but in the tools of peace, love, tolerance, patience, and understanding. He is a father who taught his children to fast from sin.”

Sr. Marie Diouf, Fscm, President of Confederation of Conferences of Majors Superiors of Africa and Madagascar (COSMAM/COMSAM)

In twelve years of Pontificate, Pope Francis has left the mark of the Shepherd who cares for the periphery. Who better than Africa to recognise itself as a periphery? So we entrust this Shepherd who cares for our situation to the goodness and mercy of the Supreme Shepherd common home.

Fabrice Folly-Aziamagnon, Coordinator of the Youth Reflection Circle of the CERAO/RECOWA, from Togo

Pope Francis, following in the footsteps of Saint John Paul II, through his life experiences, words, and actions, leaves us a precious legacy – a call to continue the fight for a fairer, more fraternal, and more service-oriented world.

We are invited to recognize that this loss is not an end but a new beginning. A legacy of love, service, and faith has been entrusted to us. As he affirmed in Christus Vivit, young people must take their place in the Church – not by remaining passive but by being agents of change and responding to the call for a “revolution of service” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 178).

He, who always insisted on the importance of missionary synodality, reminds us that the Church must move forward in a common journey, listening to every voice, especially those of the youth, to build a future according to God’s will.

We are called to continue this mission, to let the light of the Gospel shine in our communities by being supportive, committed, and bearers of hope.

Aristide Ghislain Ngouma, Rep. of Congo, Journalist, Communications Director of ACERAC

‘The Pope of the poor or the Pope of migrants, as he was known, was above all the Pope of peace, the Pope of charity, the Pope of encounter and dialogue. His pontificate always advocated building bridges of unity and openness to others.

SECAM News