The William Temple Foundation offers prayers, thoughts and thanks for the life of Pope Francis and condolences to all of those affected by the death of His Holiness on Monday, 20th April, 2025.
Given our focus on faith in public life, we have been given hope in recent years by the leadership of Pope Francis. His Encyclicals, from ‘Laudato Si ‘ in 2015 onwards, have opened up new frontiers for scholarship, social justice activism and spiritual engagement, in response to different crises across the world. We have taken great encouragement from that as a means of opening up spaces from which to pursue the common good.
In recent times, we have also seen the creation by Pope Francis of the synodal process across the Catholic Church, which has sought to engage all ordained and lay members of the church in dialogue. The purpose of this process has been to advance along a collective journey and ultimately for the church to be changed for the good of the Gospel. We recognise this spirit of dialogue across differences as one which is conterminous with the Temple tradition.
In this Year of Jubilee, we are especially encouraged by Pope Francis’s call to become Pilgrims of Hope. His own lifelong pilgrimage of hope is an exemplar for people of all faiths and beliefs.
During this period of mourning, we give thanks for the life of Pope Francis and for his courage and witness in recent months. We pray that he rests in peace and rises in glory.
We also pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the coming Conclave and for God’s grace to uphold whoever is chosen as the successor of Pope Francis.
William Temple Foundation
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