WCC news: WCC mourns loss of Pope Francis, “extraordinary shepherd of the people of God”

In a pastoral letter on the death of Pope Francis, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and WCC central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm expressed both deep sorrow and unwavering hope upon the passing of Pope Francis on 21 April.  Pope Francis during his visit to the WCC on June 2018. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 22 April 2025 “On this holiest of days, when we celebrate the triumph of life over death through our Risen Lord, the earthly journey of a faithful servant of God came to its close and his eternal rest began – in the peace of Christ, in the love of the Father, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit,” wrote Pillay and Bedford-Strohm.  “Together with the entire Roman Catholic Church, we at the World Council of Churches mourn the loss of an extraordinary shepherd of the people of God.”  Pillay and Bedford-Strohm reflected that Pope Francis will be remembered with gratitude and love by Christians and all people of good will around the world.  “Throughout his ministry, Pope Francis offered a prophetic voice for our times,” the letter reads. "His witness to the Gospel, his heartfelt call for Christian unity, and his tireless advocacy for the marginalized have left an indelible mark on the global Christian community.” Pope Francis lived his life in full devotion to God and the church, Pillay and Bedford-Strohm noted.  “We recall with gratitude Pope Francis’s historic visit to the World Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in 2018, a moment that symbolized his deep commitment to Christian unity,” wrote Pillay and Bedford-Strohm. “The WCC leadership appreciated special private meetings with Pope Francis to discuss matters of mutual ecumenical interest and concerns.” Notably, Pope Francis was also a committed advocate for a common date of Easter for all Christians, continued Pillay and Bedford-Strohm. “It is therefore deeply symbolic that he passed away in the very year when all Christians celebrates the Feast of the Resurrection on the same day – an occasion he longed and prayed for,” the letter reads. “On behalf of the World Council of Churches, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends, collaborators in the Vatican, to the entire Roman Catholic Church, and to the whole ecumenical family.” Read the full letter Pope Francis, ecumenical prophet of mercy, dies at age 88 (WCC obituary, 21 April 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland