Bishop of Malaga praises Pope Francis' leadership that 'enriched the whole Church'

Antonio M. Romero

Malaga

Tuesday, 22 April 2025, 10:39

In light of Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 on 21 April, the bishop of the diocese of Malaga, Jesús Catalá, praised the pontificate of the late Pope for enriching "the whole Church". The bishop of Malaga expressed his gratitude to Francis for "his dedication to the Church and his closeness to the poorest and most excluded".

"We thank God for having given us Pope Francis. He left his mark and we thank him for his style, his dedication, his generosity to the Church, his welcoming of everyone, his closeness to the poorest and most excluded and to the discarded, as he said," Catalá said in a message sent to the media.

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The bishop said that each pontiff gives "his mark and his enrichment" to the Church and that from "his perspective, his talents, his faculties and his sensibilities, he makes a contribution". "It is not good for us to compare some popes to others, as each one has his own peculiarities and his own way of exercising the Petrine ministry. Now we pray for him so that the Lord may welcome him into his kingdom of immortality and peace," he said.

Catalá also asked that, after Pope Francis's twelve years of pontificate, "the Holy Spirit enlighten" the cardinals who form part of the conclave to elect the new Pope.

The bells of the churches of the diocese rang at the Angelus hour (6pm) as a sign of mourning. Catalá asked all priests to celebrate a mass in their parishes for the eternal rest of the soul of Francis. He also added that Malaga's Cathedral will hold a Eucharist, but a date and time have not been announced yet.

A book of condolences has been made available in the Cathedral for those who wish to leave their messages following the death of Pope Francis. It will remain open until 1.30pm today.

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Among the dedications that have already been left is that of the community of the auxiliary parish priests of Christ the Priest, who serve as Malaga's main church. They have expressed their "sorrow for the departure to heaven of the Holy Father and hope that God, in his infinite mercy, will keep him rejoicing in his presence".

Messages in English, Portuguese and Polish demonstrate the great affection that people from different countries have for Pope Francis. "Rest in peace, one of the best popes who ever lived," reads one message. Others have thanked Francis "for having been a fantastic and wonderful person. We will always remember you".