Pope Francis RIP | Sacred Heart Exeter

Pope Francis RIP

'Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.'

On Monday morning we heard the sad news that Pope Francis had died. After a very public battle with illness, he was finally called by the Lord to take his place in the kingdom of heaven. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Prayers are being said and Masses offered throughout the diocese for the repose of his soul. Many of you will have had the chance to pray together or offer your own private prayers of thanksgiving for his life of service. You will no doubt have seen or listened to the extensive media coverage, but we wanted to offer you some resources and information which may be of help at this time.

Funeral Arrangements

The funeral of Pope Francis funeral will be celebrated on Saturday 26 April at 10.00am local time (Rome), 9.00am here. Following Mass in St Peter's Square, the Pope's body will be transferred to the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major for burial, as was his wish.

The funeral will be broadcast live on most major TV channels and on the Vatican's YouTube channel at this link.

Prayer for Pope Francis

O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant Pope Francis, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy for ever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Statement by Canon Paul Cummins

“I was very sad to hear of the death of His Holiness, Pope Francis earlier today. He was above all a humble servant of the Lord and a faithful pastor who inspired and shepherded the Catholic Church for 12 years now.

Pope Francis lived out Gospel values; he was a man of prayer, a friend to the marginalised and persecuted, he worked tirelessly for peace, the care of the environment was very important to him. His recent document on Synodality encouraged prayerful listening as a way of discerning God’s will. Pope Francis’ time as Pontiff has had a profound influence on the way we understand the Church and our mission to proclaim the Gospel.

In 2020 Pope Francis said, “Let us not forget: the dwelling place that awaits us is paradise. Here we are passing through. We are made for heaven, for eternal life, to live forever” (Regina Coeli May 2020). In the light of these beautiful words, even as we mourn his death, we pray that Pope Francis will rise to eternal life.

God bless you,
Canon Paul Cummins

Vespers for Pope Francis

On Friday 25 April, the eve of Pope Francis' funeral, Solemn Vespers will be prayed at the Cathedral of St Mary and St Boniface, Plymouth at 5.00pm. You would be most welcome to join us in person.

You can also join us online by visiting the Cathedral's YouTube channel.

The Master and His Disciple.

He did not wear a crown or cloak of gold.
He stepped aside from glory, left the throne.
He spoke of welcome to the ones who'd failed
and washed the feet of those who'd turned away.
He loved the lost and sought the words that would
remind the powerful of their call to love.
And still, when failing on his final road,
he spoke words filled with comfort, faith and hope.

In this he mirrored in his every step
The master whom he served with gracious joy.
And then this servant, stewarding the world,
invited us to see, with clearer eyes,
the one who waits upon the dusty road.
And now runs swift to welcome home his son.

Fr Mark Skelton

More information

Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface

On the day of Pope Francis's death, a Requiem Mass was offered in the Cathedral for the repose of his soul. For another eight consecutive days, the Cathedral will celebrate a Requiem Mass (Mass for the Dead) at 10.00am for the Holy Father. The Cathedral and parish churches are spaces where people may wish to gather, to light a candle and pray.

All are welcome to join the Requiem Masses at the Cathedral in person, or online by following this link.

Young People from the Diocese of Plymouth met Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Lisbon. Here are some of their reflections.

An Obituary

To read an obituary of Pope Francis published on the website of the Bishops' Conference please follow this link.

Pope Francis' Funeral

Details of the funeral arrangements for Pope Francis are published on the Vatican News website. You can find out more by following this link.

What happens next?

More Details about the process following the death of a Pope and how a new Pope is elected as Bishop of Rome and successor of St Peter can be found by following this link.

Requiescat in Pace