North West church leaders pay tribute to Pope Francis | UK News

Religious leaders across the north-west of England have paid tribute to Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88.

The Vatican confirmed the death of the Pope, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, earlier on Monday.

It comes just a day after he appeared on the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon said he would remember the Pope as a “kind and welcoming priest and bishop”.

In a statement, the archbishop said: “I have many fond memories of meeting him, most recently in January at the first general audience of the Jubilee Year.

“Francis asked everyone who met him to never to forget to pray for him – let us assure him of our prayers that he would finally meet the good shepherd and gentle judge he so zealously served.”

Pope Francis was discharged from hospital last month after five weeks of treatment for an infection that led to double pneumonia.

The governing of the Catholic Church will now be handled by the College of Cardinals, its most senior officials, until the new Pope is chosen.

Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, said “Everyone who met Pope Francis during these past 12 years will remember his urgent request ‘Please, pray for me’.

“As we accompanied Pope Francis with our prayers during his service of the Church as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, so in the hour of death, it is our first duty to pray for the soul of the man who so became a holy father for us all.”

Rt Rev John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, said he could only imagine how many people were “shocked and greatly saddened” by the news.

“Although there have been various episodes of illness in recent times, he has always shown such determination to fulfil his commitments and return to his ministry,” he added.

“Let us be grateful for the humble way in which he served the church, putting aside the pomp and decoration of his office, to be among us. From the first days of his papacy, he has shown his love for people and his determination to be close to those who came to him.”

The papal inauguration of Pope Francis was held on 19 March 2013 in St Peter’s Square, with an estimated crowd of between 150,000 and 200,000 who came to witness.

One of his final acts of his 12-year tenure as the head of the Catholic Church was to appoint Bishop John Sherrington as the new Archbishop of Liverpool, to succeed the Archbishop McMahon OP, who has been in the post since May 2014.