Malaysian Catholics Mourn the Passing of Pope Francis

22 April 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Catholics across Malaysia have joined the global Catholic community in mourning the death of Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who passed away on Monday (21 April) at the age of 88.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu expressed profound grief over the loss, calling Pope Francis “a true shepherd who embodied the spirit of synodality”.

“His pastoral leadership illuminated the path of walking together, listening attentively, and celebrating the diverse gifts of the Church. His legacy resonates deeply within our hearts, calling us to build a more compassionate and united world,” the post stated.

The Archdiocese also praised Pope Francis’s unwavering commitment to bring the Church closer to the people, particularly the poor, the marginalised, and those on the peripheries of society through humility, mercy and social justice.

“May his teachings continue to guide us as we strive to build a more compassionate and united world. Eternal rest, Pope Francis.”

Pope Francis, who had led the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics since 2013, had been in increasingly poor health and pain, and was recently hospitalised for 38 days due to a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

His death was announced by the Vatican on Monday, with reports stating the cause was a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.