Hansard

I offer my condolences and those of the Scottish Green Party to the Catholic community in Scotland and around the world following the passing of Pope Francis. The first non-European Pope in more than a thousand years, he was known for his determination to be a voice for the poor. In particular, he recognised climate change as a global problem with significant consequences and he recognised the harms of the developed world’s addiction to consumption. Pope Francis called on the world to join the fight against climate change, writing in a papal encyclical letter that the science of climate change is clear and that the Catholic Church views climate change as a moral issue that must be addressed in order to protect the earth and everyone on it.

The Pope was a committed supporter of Palestine and publicly condemned Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. He called for a ceasefire in Gaza. He urged for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and for all captives to be freed. He emphasised that war is always a defeat—that every war is a defeat—and begged for the violence to stop.

He often took an inclusive stance in the face of intolerance and prejudice. Although he never actually changed institutional or doctrinal opposition to issues of LGBTQ+ equality, women’s rights or reproductive choice, he did make bold steps to move the Church in a more inclusive direction, allowing informal blessings of same-sex unions and broadening the role of women.

I recognise the sadness that will be felt around the world at Pope Francis’s passing and I hope that his dream of a more peaceful and just world may yet come to be.