Religious and political leaders across Aotearoa are mourning the death of Pope Francis, remembering him as a global figure of humility, courage, and compassion.
The 88-year-old pontiff, the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church, died just a day after making a surprise Easter Sunday appearance in St Peter's Square.
He had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.
Across the country tributes have poured in from church leaders and politicians alike, honouring his commitment to social justice, his advocacy for the poor and marginalised, and his efforts to bring the Church closer to the people.
Longtime New Zealand Catholic spokesperson Dame Lyndsay Freer said churches across the country would pay their respects to Pope Francis.
"There'll be masses of thanksgiving for his life in all of our parishes and after his actual funeral there will be formal masses of thanksgiving, memorial masses, here in New Zealand," she said.
She said there would be masses for thanksgiving for his life in churches across New Zealand and that many may even be heading over to Italy.
"The crowds [in Italy] are just unbelievable.
"It's just amazing how Italy manage these huge crowds of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people.
"I was actually there when he was elected in St. Peteres Square when the white smoke came up that elected Pope Francis," she said.
Photo: AFP
Auckland Bishop and president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference Steve Lowe said that while the Pope had not visited New Zealand, he had a deep love for the Catholic faithful across the world.
"While he didn't set foot on our shores, we know the deep love that Pope Francis had for the Catholic faithful scattered across the world," said Lowe.
"Through his visits to places like Papua New Guinea, Mongolia and Indonesia, Francis knew the appeal and the impact of the papacy in all corners of the globe," he said.
Dunedin Diocese's Catholic Bishop Michael Dooley said the Pope stood up for people in poverty and migrants.
"He was pretty courageous really in standing up and speaking for those people, and I think probably by his way of life too he backed it up with his actions, so it was obviously something that was dear to his heart."
"One of the things he's done is what's called the Synodality.... he's got us, looking at being a more listening church, more listening people.
Dooley met the Pope in 2019 alongside four other New Zealand bishops and said Francis was open and welcoming.
He said the death of the pontiff felt similar to a family member dying.
"I've been quite amazed and inspired by what he's done."
Former Anglican archbishop, Sir David Moxam, was the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See and met the Pope many times.
He said talking to the pontiff was like "sitting down with your favourite uncle".
"Always a Jesuit, always an educator, always a counsellor, always a friend. And in that way, I think it was just a pleasure to talk with someone in an ordinary kind of way."
The two would often discuss Anglican-Roman Catholic cooperation, especially in regard to combating slavery and supporting refugees.
"Also, ways we could reach out to other churches and other faiths for world peace or the cause of justice where we were able."
Moxham said he even had the pleasure of introducing the Pope to Kīngi Tūheitia.
"The [Kīngi] was given twenty minutes for the audience, and, actually, the Pope gave him forty minutes just because they sat down and chatted away about important things between them in private.
"That was a very special time."
Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Apostolic Nuncio to Aotearoa, said the Pope's progressive politics will continue with the election of a new pope in the coming weeks.
"Because I think that this is the only way that we can [be of] use in the future.
"The whole world became very... the church and the society [is] always [coming] together. You cannot separate... Christianity from society."
Retired Catholic Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn, who met with Pope Francis five years ago in Rome, said he was struck by his "human warmth".
"He sort of had the common touch... He made us feel very much at home," Dunn said.
Dunn said Pope Francis was a "normal person" and his position hadn't gone to his head.
Gilbert Ramos, head of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Auckland, said he was shocked when he heard the news of the Pope's demise.
"We were all praying for him, and we heard news that he was getting better. We thought he was going to make it. We were very hopeful."
Ramos noted the Pope was very popular within the Filipino community in New Zealand.
Pope Francis visited the Philippines in 2015, two years after he became the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
"The Filipinos will forever be grateful to Pope Francis for showing his love after his visit to the Philippines shortly after the Haiyan (Yolanda) typhoon," he said.
"He went to the places affected by the typhoon, and the Filipinos truly felt the love and concern of our Holy Father," Ramos added.
He also said he received many text messages and phone calls from members of the Filipino community after the news broke.
Pope Francis smile and greets when he leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in Saint Peter's square in The Vatican on November 15, 2023 Photo: MASSIMO VALICCHIA / AFP
The Vatican's representative in New Zealand said the pontiff had the unique ability to move the church towards more liberal policies while balancing the traditional values of the faith.
"I think the people who think that he was at the same time a very progressive and a very conservative person, I think it's true.
"He was able to find a way to balance the way of the Catholic Church in this very critical time... with the whole [of] humanity."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said his thoughts were with Catholics and all those in New Zealand and around the world who mourn his death.
"A man of humility, his legacy includes an unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, to social justice and to interfaith dialogue," Luxon said.
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said throughout his papacy, the Pope had shown deep compassion and an unwavering commitment to social justice, inclusion and the dignity of every person.
"He stood up for action on climate change, championed peace through his diplomacy, and advocated for the rights of migrants and refugees," Hipkins said.
"His leadership challenged us all to build a fairer and more caring world," he said.
But when asked whether Pope Francis had done enough to combat child abuse within the Catholic Church, Hipkins said more needed to be done.
"I think Pope Francis deserves credit for the work he did, but there's certainly a lot more do be done.
"I know that the Catholic Church has been through some difficult times over the last twenty years or so... and I think that Pope Francis was leaning into that, and that would've been very difficult."
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