City of Westminster (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Crowds gathered at Westminster Cathedral to mourn Pope Francis, remembered as a ‘voice for peace’, following the Vatican announcement of his passing on Monday.
On Easter Monday, Father Patrick van der Vorst conducted a morning liturgy discussing the “symbolic” death of the Pope.
Mourners filed in, passing a candlelit memorial display featuring a picture of the late pope.
“He was always there to serve the poor”,
Father van der Vorst told the congregation.
Barbara Keeley, the Labour peer and former frontbench MP, spoke to the PA news agency as she left the cathedral.
“During a time of war in the world, he was a voice for peace and supporting those who are suffering,”
she said.
Having risen from humble beginnings, Pope Francis became the first Latin-American pontiff in 2013.
During his tenure, he was renowned for pushing the church toward a more progressive direction, occasionally running afoul of Vatican traditionalists.
In Westminster Cathedral, mourners of many different religions and origins joined Catholic churchgoers in paying their respects.
Patrick Somerville, 87, from Westminster, noted the diversity of those present, saying:
“He (Pope Francis) has had a worldwide impact on all leaders and all peoples.
I spoke this morning to my newsagent who told me his mother, who is a Hindu, loved Pope Francis and I think that says it all.
He brought love to the whole world in a humble way.”
Michael McBride, 61, from Cyprus, said:
“He did a very good job reconciling all the religions, whether they were Muslim or Christian.”
He added:
“A good man trying to unite everyone.”
Georgette Presto, 71, from South Carolina, US, said:
“He was more accepting of humanity than the other popes.
I think he just cared about people because he came from the bottom.”
In an effort to combat corruption and poor management, he enforced new rules for Vatican finances, including competitive bidding, ethical investment guidelines, and contemporary accounting procedures.
Patricia Wohlrab, 88, and Sue Ball, 77, local churchgoers from Westminster, said:
“He was always advocating for the poor. I think that resonated with people from outside Catholicism and perhaps with people who were not religious at all.”
“I think that was one of his great strengths. If you think of the terrible situation in Gaza, he phoned the Catholic parish every single evening to see how they were doing”,
Ms Wohlrab, who lived in Rome for 60 years and worked in the Vatican, added.
How did Pope Francis’ progressive policies impact the Catholic Church in Westminster?
Francis made a significant departure from previous teachings when he amended the Church’s catechism to proclaim the death sentence “inadmissible” in all circumstances and denounce the possession and use of nuclear weapons.
Francis tempered the tone while maintaining the Church’s stance to abortion by focusing on compassion and letting regular priests absolve women who had abortions instead of just bishops.
By condemning laws that punish homosexuality and permitting priests to bless same-sex couples in some situations, he increased acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. He promoted legal protection and respect for LGBTQ+ individuals, emphasizing the difference between sin and criminality.
Francis granted women the opportunity to vote in synods, elevated women to high-ranking Vatican offices that had traditionally been held by men, and permitted them to serve as acolytes and lectors.