Tributes in South to Pope Francis who ‘crossed all boundaries’

Members of the Catholic community in the south of England have been paying tribute to Pope Francis, who has died aged 88.

The Vatican’s announcement of his death came just a day after he appeared in a wheelchair at St Peter’s Square to wish thousands of worshipers gathered there a “Happy Easter”.

“He was a person who crossed all the boundaries,” said Canon Paul Fitzpatrick, of The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Henley.

While Francis Davis, a Catholic author from Portsmouth and community activist who works across the Solent and Wessex region, said meeting Pope Francis at The Vatican had been an “overwhelming” experience.

Canon Fitzpatrick said more people than usual attended his service on Sunday, where there was “a subdued feeling and sadness”.

“Pope Francis had done so much, not just for Catholics but for the world,” he added.

Mr Davis said he told the Pope he had been working to protect vulnerable elders locally, when he met him.

“He said, ‘Defend the poor’, which is quite a mandate really.

“This is a man who set an example with his own life and devoted that life to defending the poor, spending time with the weakest and trying to find a way to include them in the decision-making structures of the church.”

Writing on X, he said: “Go well @Pontifex. Thank you for walking the margins towards the centre.”

The Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth, the Right Reverend Philip Egan described the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church as “a very human Pope” who had “called us to put our Christian faith into action”.

“He has also championed the marginalised, the poor, the invisible… working for a more fraternal world and for peace,” he continued.

“His role internationally is a very, very important one and there’s been a wonderful legacy.”