Death of Pope Francis

That this House expresses its sadness at the death of the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis, affectionately known as the People’s Pope; offers its condolences to Catholic people in Britain and across the world; notes that Pope Francis was the first Latin American pontiff; pays tribute to Pope Francis for his work to promote interfaith collaboration, harmony and solidarity; commends Pope Francis for championing the oppressed, marginalised and demonised, particularly his support for migrant rights’, as shown by the first trip of his pontificate outside of Rome, where he visited migrants on the island of Lampedusa; further commends Pope Francis for his powerful denunciations of poverty, inequality, and unfettered markets; praises Pope Francis for having been a leading voice for justice and peace, including using his final public address to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as his daily check-ins with Catholic Palestinians in Gaza; further expresses its view that the world is a poorer place without Pope Francis’ moral leadership and courage; expresses its hope that Pope Francis’ legacy will live long into the future; and trusts that he may rest in peace.