President Mnangagwa mourns Pope Francis
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed deep sorrow following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday after a prolonged battle with respiratory illness.
“I join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a man of profound humility who stood for peace, compassion, and justice,” President Mnangagwa said in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Catholic Church and Catholics around the world. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
— @edmnangagwa, 5:08 PM · Apr 21, 2025
A life of service
The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis died at 7:35 AM at his residence, Casa Santa Marta, on 21 April 2025.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” announced Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s camerlengo.
Francis had spent 38 days at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital earlier this year after suffering a severe respiratory crisis. The pontiff, who had only one functioning lung, was admitted on 14 February 2025.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, became the first Latin American pope and the first Jesuit to lead the Catholic Church in its 2,000-year history. Elected in March 2013, he was known for his humility, social justice messaging, and reformist approach.
“We have realised that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented,” he said during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, delivering a solitary blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square.
Controversy and compassion
Pope Francis was widely admired for his compassion but also faced resistance within the Church, particularly from conservative quarters.
“Who am I to judge?” he famously asked in response to a question about gay priests in 2013 — a quote that would come to symbolise his inclusive tone.
He took unprecedented steps during his papacy, including allowing blessings for same-sex couples, reforming church law on sexual abuse, and including women in key Vatican roles.
“For Pope Francis, it was always to extend the arms of the church to embrace all people, not to exclude anyone,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
Francis also reached out to the margins of society — from the poor and disabled to migrants and Indigenous communities — and made climate change and social inequality central issues of his pontificate.
A legacy remembered
Despite ongoing scandals surrounding sexual abuse in the Church, Francis was seen by many as having taken meaningful action.
“He sincerely wanted to do something and he transmitted that,” said Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean abuse survivor who later developed a personal relationship with the pope.
As tributes pour in from world leaders and citizens across the globe, President Mnangagwa’s message joined thousands who remembered the pope’s focus on mercy, humility, and inclusion.
“Pope Francis always helped us,” said Coqui Vargas, a transgender woman who met him during the pandemic. “He saw us.”
Francis will be remembered not only for his bold changes but also for his personal simplicity — he wore old shoes, lived in a modest hotel room, and rode in a small car.
Zimbabwe’s Catholic community, along with millions across the world, now mourns the passing of a pope who sought to “heal wounds and warm hearts” — in his own words, “a field hospital after battle.”
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The post President Mnangagwa Leads Zimbabwe In Mourning Pope Francis appeared first on iHarare News.
