Atiku, Obi mourn Pope Francis

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the death of the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, as the end of an era defined by humility, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to the service of humanity.

Francis, 88, died on Monday morning in Vatican City.

In a statement, Atiku said the Pope was a shepherd of the most vulnerable and worked for a better and united world.

“It is with a heart heavy with sorrow that I extend my deepest condolences to the Holy See, the Catholic Church in Nigeria and across the world, and the entire Christian faithful on the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis.

“The departure of Pope Francis marks the end of an era defined by humility, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to the service of humanity. He was a trailblazer who dared to walk where no one had gone. He was a shepherd of the most vulnerable and worked for a better and united world,” he said.

“Pope Francis was a Pontiff who walked among the people, whose voice echoed the cries of the poor and whose hands reached toward those cast aside by the world, adding that his papacy was a bridge of compassion in a time of division, a balm of grace in a wounded world.

“That his soul should be called home on a sacred day of Christians is a solemn and divine punctuation — one that reminds us that even as the earthly journey ends, a new and glorious dawn awaits those who have lived for others,” he said.

Atiku said he stood with the Catholics in Nigeria and the Christian community worldwide on the death of the pope.

“To Catholics in Nigeria and beyond and the Christian community worldwide, I share your sorrow and stand with you in prayer.

“May the memory of Pope Francis continue to inspire us toward unity, compassion, and peace. And may his soul, now freed from the burdens of this world, find eternal rest in the presence of the Almighty,” he said.

In his condolence message, Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, said the pope’s death “marks the end of another era in the spiritual and moral leadership of the Catholic Church and the wider world.

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While recounting that he met Pope Francis on three occasions, Mr Obi, a Catholic, said that throughout his life and pontification, the pope embodied the virtues of faith, hope, and compassion.

“Throughout his life and pontificate – during which I had the privilege of meeting him on three occasions – Pope Francis embodied the virtues of faith, hope, and compassion,” he said.

“As a member of the Scholas Occurrences Foundation, founded by Pope Francis, I deeply appreciate his belief in education, dialogue, and youth empowerment as vital instruments for building a more just and compassionate world,” the former governor of Anambra State said.