'He was a champion of unity and hope': Singapore Archdiocese pays moving tribute to Pope Francis on his passing

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore mourned the passing of Pope Francis on Monday (April 21).

"We are deeply saddened to announce our Holy Father Pope Francis has passed away on Monday, 7:35am, April 21, 2025 in Vatican City," it said in a statement.

"Our Vicar of Christ has been a model of mercy and compassion. He was a champion of unity and hope, not just for Catholics, but for the world, especially the weak, the marginalised, and the poor."

The statement said the Pope spoke for displaced refugees and victims of war, and urged world leaders to seek peace through dialogue and justice.

Pope Francis' constant call for inclusivity gave the world a Church that welcomed all, especially those who yearned for love, mercy, and hope. His actions inspired the faithful to be the face of Christ to others and reach out to those on the fringes of society, it said.

"During his State visit to Singapore in a meeting with youth from different faiths, he emphasised dialogue and understanding between the religious communities. He urged the youth of today to be courageous and open to feedback in order to have sincere dialogue with one another.

"In his final days, the Holy Father continued his work of preaching joy and sharing Christ's all-embracing love, attending the Holy Week liturgies and meeting the faithful whenever he went.

"His earthly life was full of fervour for Christ's mission till the end, living out the words of his encyclical "Dilexit Nos" (He loved us) exuding love and serving with joy."

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan shared his "deepest condolences" in a Facebook post and said, "a shining sign of hope has departed but left indelible memories for everyone who has met him or listened to him over the years".

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who was the Minister in Attendance during the pope's visit to Singapore in September 2024, said: "His kindly aura and a strong sense of holy presence was deeply palpable, and very infectious."

MP Christopher de Souza called the pope "a saint" in his Facebook post and said he "instinctively drove to Church to pray and thank God for Pope Francis" after hearing of the passing.

Frances Tan, a freelance copywriter, told AsiaOne that the news came as a shock.

"This came as a shock to us, especially since His Holiness had just celebrated Mass yesterday at Vatican. Still, we remain grateful and deeply privileged to have welcomed him to Singapore just last year, and for many of us, to have been there as he celebrated Mass," she said.

"Pope Francis was a humble, kind shepherd and a voice for the poor and forgotten, just like his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi," Tan, 48, added.

Pope Francis made his last public appearance on Sunday (April 20) at St Peter's Square in celebration of Easter Mass.

Appearing for the first time since battling double pneumonia, he was met with cheers from thousands of faithful.

Earlier on Sunday morning, the pope held a private meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance to exchange Easter greetings. 

Pope Francis was made head of the Catholic Church in March 2013 after Pope Benedict's resignation.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrants from Argentina, he was the first Latin American elected as the spiritual leader to over 1.3 million Roman Catholics. 

In September 2024, he visited Singapore during his Asia-Pacific tour, where he celebrated mass with 50,000 attendees at the National Stadium. 

During his three-day state visit, Pope Francis met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The Pope also visited the elderly at St Theresa's Home and took part in an inter-religious dialogue with young people at Catholic Junior College.

Singapore was the last stop of his 12-day-tour, which included Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor.

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