Obituaries & Tributes

Bernard Desmond Heaphy was born in Lee, Lewisham in 1937. He went to school at St Joseph's Academy, Blackheath. He then studied for the priesthood at St John's Seminary in Wonersh and was ordained at Our Lady of Lourdes, Lee on the 17th of June 1962. After ordination he went to Cambridge University to study physics and subsequently taught at St John Fisher School, Purley for 10 years. He then s... Read More

Mill Hill Missionary Fr Innocent Akum Wefon writes: For most of my life as a priest, Easter has been a time of overflowing joy; churches packed with singing voices, polished liturgies, colourful vestments, and the familiar rhythm of celebration. Christ is risen! And with that proclamation, joy often feels like the only appropriate response. But this year, Easter broke me open in a different way. C... Read More

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Parish Priest at Farm Street Church, Mayfair, writes: "We are not living an era of change but a change of era". Francis' comment to Italian bishops in 2015 became something of a mantra for his papal ministry in a fast changing world in which the Catholic Church had lost so much credibility and needed to be humbled back to simplicity. The choice of name said it all, defin... Read More

John Nish, President of the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges (CATSC) writes: It is with profound sadness and deep gratitude that the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges (CATSC) joins the universal Church in mourning the death of His Holiness, Pope Francis. A shepherd of humility, wisdom, and courageous faith, Pope Francis led the Church with a heart close t... Read More

Fr Nicholas Crowe OP, Dominican Prior Provincial writes: With deep sorrow, the Dominican friars of the English Province mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. We give thanks for his faithful witness to the Gospel and his tireless service to the Church. As the College of Cardinals prepares to gather in Conclave, among them our own brother Timothy Radcliffe OP, we unite in prayer, invokin... Read More

The death of Pope Francis has generated renewed interest in a story - https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36313 - I wrote in January 2019 about the Irish nun who was present at his birth in December 1936 and who nursed him for the first week of his life. The Irish Examiner has published an article about the story and the Irish Independent and Irish Central in New York picked it up from there, as ... Read More

All the Irish Bishops have issued tributes to Pope Francis. A Book of Condolences for people in Ireland to record their sympathy on the death of Pope Francis is now available on the homepage of https://www.catholicbishops.ie , and on the Irish bishops' social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, X, and on BlueSky. The tributes follow: Bishop Michael Duignan, Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh & ... Read More

Joe Stanley, Chair of LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council writes: It is with deep mourning that the LGBT+ Catholics Westminster Community learns of the death of Pope Francis, tempered by the certainty that he will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven with open arms, and a profound respect for his stewardship of the Body of Christ as Servant of the Servants of God. His papacy has had a ... Read More

It is with sad news we announce the death of Fr Aidan Bede Sharratt. He died peacefully yesterday evening, 22 April, at St Anne's Care Home in Stoke Newington with Little Sisters of the Poor, and Sr Clement, praying at his bedside. Fr Aidan was born in Northumberland on 15 May 1940 and ordained to the priesthood on 1 July 1965. Condolences are extended to his family and friends and to parishioners... Read More

Tributes, poems and prayers from organisations and individuals have been pouring in to ICN since Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. We will be publishing them all over the next few days. The Jesuits in Britain Pope Francis has returned to the Lord. With heavy hearts, the Jesuits in Britain mourn the death of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, whose leadership has profoundly shaped the Church in... Read More

King Charles The King said he and the Queen were "most deeply saddened" to learn of the Pope's death and "were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month". Charles and Camilla visited the pontiff at the Vatican on April 9, the day the royal couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. In a statement on Monday, King Charles said: "Through his work and care for both peopl... Read More

'On behalf of the people, religious sisters and brothers, priests and bishops of Ireland I wish to express sadness and our feelings of affection and loss upon hearing of the death of the Holy Father Pope Francis this morning. In recent days, and since he was admitted to hospital in February, he has been showing immense courage and serenity in the face of frailty and suffering. In this, he has be... Read More

The Archbishop of Southwark, Rt Rev John Wilson has issued the following statement: "The death of Pope Francis fills me with great sorrow. This pain and sadness will not only be felt within our Church, it will also resonate deeply around the world, especially in the poorest and most marginalised communities. "Like the Lord, when the poor cried, Pope Francis heard them. But as the Lord Jesus taught... Read More

Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) said: "Pope Francis's passing will be mourned around the world, not least among his many allies and admirers in the ecumenical movement and in the worldwide fellowship of the WCC. His papacy has been a great gift to the ecumenical movement, and he has been a dedicated collaborator in our efforts toward Christian uni... Read More