Our hearts are heavy with sorrow at the death of Pope Francis, which occurred this morning, Easter Monday of the Jubilee Year 2025.
We remember him among the young people of the Ark community in Ciampino, at one of those meetings he so deeply desired—moments of profound significance that took place during the Fridays of Mercy in 2016.
We remember him in the days of the Jubilee of Mercy, a year of grace he proclaimed to remind each of us how deeply the Father loves us.
We remember him in the extraordinary message he sent on the day of disability in 2019, in which he emphasized that every person needs to belong to a community in order to grow.
We remember him alone in Saint Peter's Square during the hard days of the pandemic.
We remember him at the meeting marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Foi et Lumière movement, which gave birth to the Faith and Light communities in Italy.
For his faithful service as successor of Peter, we thank him from the depths of our hearts for the great love he bore toward every member of God's people, the body of the Church to which he wished to draw near even in these final days: we saw him on Holy Thursday with the prisoners of Regina Coeli, and yesterday when he chose to stand with those gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Easter Jubilee, and to bless them.
At the end of each meeting he would ask us to pray for him. We will continue to do so.