“Many were kind enough to view my Easter message, which referred to a personal encounter I had with Pope Francis only weeks ago. Now, amid the continuing atmosphere of Hope that characterises Easter, it is time to mourn him and to reflect upon his rich influence which extended far beyond his own Communion. My sympathy at this time goes to the bishops, priests and people of the various Roman Catholic dioceses with which we in Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe share territory. Through his pastoral zeal, compassion, imagination and indeed humour, Francis captured the hearts of many of us. My own work with the Anglican Centre in Rome gave me a remarkable window onto his genuine warm and prayerful interest in our affairs. We realised in a quite new way that when the bishop of Rome spoke out, for example on matters of climate change, the church in its widest ecumenical sense did well to listen. But, above all, I think of a Pope who never lost his sense of his own humanity, who lived out his calling to be, in that ancient phrase, a servant of the servants of God.”
Michael, Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe
The Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Bishop of Tuam, Limerick & Killaloe with his Holiness, Pope Francis at the Vatican, January 2025
Photograph provided by Colm Flynn, Vatican Correspondent, EWTN.
This statement first appeared on the TLK social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) on Monday 21st April, 2025.