He consistently called for an end to the Israeli assault on Gaza and for Palestinians and Israelis to be able to live in peace.
On the issue of the destruction of our global environment he emphasised the interconnectivity of the many issues facing humanity. He said: “Our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing breaking point.”
Too many religious and political leaders in Ireland and elsewhere have been far too silent on genocide, war crimes, destructive militarisation and gross breaches of international and humanitarian laws that have been causing millions of deaths worldwide and huge destruction and suffering since the beginning of this 21st century.
Our world is already at breaking point, with millions of refugees and displaced persons dying while attempting to get to safety from wars and environmental destruction. May Pope Francis rest in peace and may all of humanity work together to end these multiple self-inflicted crises.
Edward Horgan, Castletroy, Limerick
Even though he had been sick for some time, the death of Pope Francis comes as a shock. Indeed, I doubt anybody who watched his Urbi et Orbi message on Easter Sunday expected to wake up to news of his death on Easter Monday.
Nevertheless, his dying in office marks a welcome return to tradition, succeeding to the papacy as he did in the wake of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. I am a fan of Benedict’s, but his resignation painted leadership of the world’s largest religion as being a temporal political position like some two-bit parliamentarian or president, rather than...
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