Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, spoke to Nick Ferrari on the radio station LBC the day after the death of Pope Francis.
He reflected warmly on a Pope who had a deep inner peace and conviction to live and act in the presence of God.
The Cardinal also spoke of Pope Francis as a person of great hope, citing the Holy Father’s last pastoral action outside the walls of St Peter’s – a surprise visit to the city’s Regina Coeli prison.
“That was the last place he went to. He said to the guys in prison, ‘Except for the grace of God, I could well have been in your place. Don’t lose hope. Keep going.’ Those two things – God’s mercy and his hope – are the things that will stay with me.”
Hope was a theme that Cardinal Nichols highlighted as one of key importance at this time of mourning and prayer for Pope Francis:
“It’s important that we mourn, that we have a sense of loss. But it’s also important that we have a sense of hope. Hope in two ways. Hope for the Pope Francis, that he is now at home, that he has gone home. But also a sense that dying isn’t disappearing into oblivion. We’re not just snuffed out like a candle. There’s a life and a continuity of life between this world and the next. People should have a sense that their loved ones are still close to them in a different way. Pope Francis is among the loved ones who will remain an inspiration, and close, I think, to many, many people around the world.”
You can watch the interview here.
With thanks to LBC for permission to use the content.
