By Gerrino J. Saunders
Bahama Journal News Editor
Bahamians are among the millions of Catholics and non-Catholics worldwide
mourning the death of His Holiness Pope Francis who died on Easter Monday at
the age of 88 after greeting the public in St. Peters Square on Easter Sunday.
The Pope who had been hospitalized for more than a month suffered a stroke,
followed by a coma and heart failure on Monday morning, the Vatican said in a
statement. The Pope had reportedly also suffered a previous episode of acute
respiratory failure and type II diabetes.
On hearing of his passing Prime Minister Philip Davis who is Anglican and met
Pope Francis while in Rome, Italy in October of 2023 issued a statement on the
pontiff’s passing.
He said, “today, I join the global community in mourning the passing of His
Holiness Pope Francis, a spiritual shepherd whose life was marked by humility,
courage, and a deep commitment to humanity.
“I recall with great reverence my meeting with the Holy Father. In our exchange,
his heart for the poor and suffering, his compassion for the displaced people of
Haiti, and his concern for the existential threat of climate change revealed a man of
profound faith who understood the urgency of justice in our time.”
Mr. Davis said Pope Francis went beyond leading the Catholic Church he opened
its doors wider.
“His papacy re-centered the Church’s moral voice on the teachings of Jesus Christ:
love without exception, mercy without condition, and service without reward. He
reminded us that the Church must walk with the wounded, speak for the voiceless,
and care above all for the poor,” said the Prime Minister.
Continuing, he said as the world reflects on Pope Francis’ legacy, we remember his
call to be stewards of the Earth and protectors of the vulnerable.
He said in the Caribbean, where the impacts of climate change are felt daily, the
Pope’s voice was among the loudest calling for equity and responsibility.
Prime Minister Davis finished his statement by saying he and his wife Ann,
together with the people of The Bahamas, extend our deepest condolences to the
Catholic faithful, to the people of the Vatican, and to all those touched by Pope
Francis’ remarkable ministry.
“May his soul rest in peace, and may we honour him best by living lives rooted in
compassion and service,” said the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday the day after the Pope’s death the Prime Minister along with Deputy
Prime Minister Chester Cooper and the leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard
visited the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral where they signed the book of condolences
for Pope Francis.
Mr. Pintard described Pope Francis’s passing as a loss for Catholics and for the
world. “He was a fierce advocate for small island states and in the Catholic
community he was well known for his activism around marginalized communities,
and so expressed values that we believe made a difference globally.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell also issued a statement on the day of
the Pope’s death where he said he had sent a note to the Roman Catholic
Archbishop in Nassau expressing condolences on behalf of the Bahamian people
noting that the entire country is “saddened by his passing.”
He noted that Pope Francis met with two Bahamian Prime Ministers during his
pontificate: Prime Minister Philip Davis and Prime Minister Perry Christie.
“The Pope was a stand-out advocate for the poor, the dispossessed, a champion of
peace in the world, and reconciliation,” said Mitchell who also noted that Pope
Francis supported the cause of Small Island Developing States and their fight for
climate justice.
Mitchell said the Pope will be missed and noted that a formal note will be sent to
the Vatican.
The Bahama Journal spoke with Joseph Curry, The Bahamas Ambassador to the
Holy See who spoke about the impact the Pope’s death has had on Bahamian
Catholics.
He said, “The entire Catholic community within The Bahamas as well as globally
mourns the passing of the Holy Father. His legacy will live on for many-many
years.
“Not only has the church lost a great leader, but the world has lost a compassionate
spiritual leader and his place in history has been preserved.”
Ambassador Curry also reflected on his time meeting the pontiff. “While I am a
Roman Catholic,” he said, “my first meeting with the Holy Father was not until I
presented my credentials on the 22nd of December 2022 as Ambassador to the Holy
See. It was a humbling experience and one which will always remain very special
to me as a Roman Catholic and as an Ambassador.”
The Vatican released the first images of Pope Francis’ body in the chapel of the
Domus Santa Marta Hotel where he lived on Tuesday showing him in a wooden
casket, in red vestments and his bishop’s mite.
The Vatican also announced his funeral will be held on tomorrow in St. Peter’s
Square beginning at 10:00am local time (4 am ET), six days after his death.
The process by which a new pope is elected has undergone numerous changes in the
nearly two millennia that the Catholic Church has existed, with the current procedure
a combination of ancient traditions and modern updates as recent as 2013, reflecting
changes instituted by Pope Benedict XVI. Even so, the essential ritual has remained
largely unchanged for centuries.
All cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to participate will be summoned to
Rome to prepare for the secret conclave to choose the next pontiff, a gathering that
typically commences between 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death.
