Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town has described Pope Francis as “the last globally-recognised moral voice in our confused times,” and as a leader who gave “clear guidance in a complex and polarised political world.”
In a statement released after the Pope’s death today, Archbishop Makgoba said that “the poor of the world will be those who will miss him the most as a champion and custodian of their hopes and dreams. He was an incredible, prophetic pastor whose vision was a ‘church of the poor for the poor’, to quote one of his favourite sayings.”
The archbishop added: “We are deeply grateful to him for holding before us the image of the church as a field hospital, and for the incredible ways in which he embraced the marginalised, begging priests to identify with them as ‘shepherds living with the smell of the sheep’….
“The greater Christian family will miss him as a great human being and a great church leader.”
The full text of Archbishop Makgoba’s statement follows:
“On behalf of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and with a heavy heart, I give thanks to God for the life of Pope Francis. For me, as for so many around the globe, his death feels almost like a personal loss. On the numerous occasions I and my wife, Lungi, met him, he made you feel as if you were the only person in the world, holding you in his gaze with those piercing, warm and attentive eyes.
“For many around the world, including people of all faiths and of none, the distinguishing characteristic of his papacy was how close they felt to him. The last globally-recognised moral voice in our confused times, he gave us clear guidance in a complex and polarised political world.
“I will always remember the many special moments he spent with us as Anglican bishops and prelates. Our last meeting with him was particularly special, when he got out of his wheel chair and insisted on walking over to us, then sat down with those of us appointed to greet and engage with him. It was an indescribable experience.
“The poor of the world will be those who will miss him the most as a champion and custodian of their hopes and dreams. He was an incredible, prophetic pastor whose vision was a ‘church of the poor for the poor’, to quote one of his favourite sayings. We are deeply grateful to him for holding before us the image of the church as a field hospital, and for the incredible ways in which he embraced the marginalised, begging priests to identify with them as ‘shepherds living with the smell of the sheep’.
“He was a master of gesture; he supported all. Although he primarily led the world’s Catholics, he also gave leadership to the whole Christian family. We will remember him for his wise counsel, posing deep theological questions, and his encyclical on care for the environment, Laudato Si’, will resonate through generations as we seek to love God’s creation.
“The greater Christian family will miss him as a great human being and a great church leader. In my last brief conversation with him, I asked him to pray for me. His reply, ‘Ora pro nobis tamquam ego vobis’ – ‘Pray for us as I do for you’ – made me feel, just as many including Lungi did, that I had a place in his heart. His memory will be etched in my heart forever, and I pray that his soul will rest in God’s peace.”