Pope Francis ~ Requiescat in pace
The Bishop of Nottingham, the Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, has expressed his sorrow following the death of Pope Francis.
Bishop McKinney said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The Pope has left an indelible mark on the Church and the world, as a man of great warmth and humility who made use of his global prestige to highlight and to listen to the concerns of the poorest and most marginalised people across the world. The loss of the Holy Father will be deeply felt in all of our diocesan communities and well beyond, but I believe his legacy will live on.
“I was very privileged to meet Pope Francis in Rome on two occasions— first, upon my appointment as Bishop of Nottingham in May 2015, and once again during the ‘Ad limina’ visit of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales to Rome in 2018. Each time I was struck by his humility and warm welcome, deep love of Christ Jesus, desire to engage in dialogue, and his profound commitment to the Church and her mission. He will be greatly missed.
“The Holy Father once said, that ‘it is only through faith in the resurrection that we can face the abyss of death without being overwhelmed by fear’. It is so poignant that Pope Francis has died this Easter Monday just one day after wishing the world a ‘Happy Easter’. May the Crucified and Risen Lord reward him for his valiant labours. He named this year, a Jubilee Year of Hope. So, In the face of his death and our experience of grief and loss, I would encourage all Catholics to continue to journey as Pilgrims of Hope trusting in Christ’s promise of eternal life to those who are faithful to his teaching, and to commend our prayers for the Holy Father to the intercession of St Ignatius, St Francis of Assisi and Our Lady, Queen of Heaven.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen."
The Vatican will announce details of Pope Francis’ Funeral arrangements in due course, and details of Masses and Services across the Diocese of Nottingham will be soon be shared on the Diocesan website (dioceseofnottingham.uk).
Jubilee Churches with Books of Remembrance
Cathedral Church of Saint Barnabas ~ 7am - 7am
Good Shepherd, Woodthorpe ~ 7am - 8.30am
Saint Philip Neri, Mansfield
Our Lady of Lincoln, Lincoln
Our Lady and Saint Norbert, Spalding
Saint Mary, Derby
Saint Joseph, Matlock
Holy Cross Priory, Leicester | 7.30AM - 7.30PM
Saint Mary of the Annunciation, Loughborough
