Hansard

On behalf of the Scottish Labour Party, I put on the record our deep sorrow on the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. The death of the Holy Father will come as a source of mourning and reflection for Catholics in Scotland and around the world, but the fact that it came on Easter Monday—the day when Christians reflect on Christ’s conquering of death—will, I am sure, have been a source of solace in what is a trying time. While Pope Francis was loved by Catholics worldwide, he was also deeply respected and loved by people of all faiths and none. I saw that when I attended mass at St Andrew’s metropolitan cathedral in Glasgow yesterday.

Pope Francis was not only a remarkable Pope and shepherd of his flock, but a remarkable man. From his humble origins in Buenos Aires to the seat of St Peter in Rome, His Holiness never lost sight of what drove him or lost touch with the feelings and realities facing the people he served. Throughout his ministry, Pope Francis dedicated himself to the corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned and burying the dead. In the midst of war and depression in his native Latin America, Pope Francis was a voice for peace and reconciliation.

He called again and again for peace in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, phoning the parish priest in besieged Gaza every single day until the end. As Pope, he threw himself at the feet of warring leaders in South Sudan to beg for peace. He literally washed the feet of prisoners and those whom society had shunned. Only last week, he was washing the feet of inmates in one of Rome’s largest prisons. He was a constant voice for social justice in our world, standing up for the rights of workers, demanding action on the climate crisis and giving voice to the plight of refugees and the dispossessed worldwide.

Pope Francis used his final public address to call once again for peace across our world. He called for a ceasefire in Palestine, the release of hostages and dialogue towards peace. He called out all forms of prejudice and hate and used his final hours to call for justice and peace—yes, in the middle east, but also beyond.

All of Francis’s actions were driven by his deep Catholic faith, his personal devotion to Our Lady and his spiritual connection with the great peacemaker and ecologist, St Francis of Assisi. He was, in short, a humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord; a man who spoke to all faiths and none, who broke down barriers and broke bread with all, who opened his heart to the world and who dedicated his life to making our world a better place. We can unite in our deep hope that he now hears the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

In these dark and, at times, violent times, it is worth reflecting on how much better and safer our world would be if we all strived to live a little more like Pope Francis. On behalf of the Scottish Labour Party, I put on the record our prayers and our condolences on the passing of the Holy Father. Eternal rest grant unto him. Requiescat in pace.