Bishop Niall Coll: Pope Francis was 'a kind, courageous and gentle pastor'

Donegal-born Bishop of Ossory Niall Coll has paid tribute to the late Pope Francis, “a kind, courageous and gentle pastor”,

The St Johnston native was speaking following the death on Easter Monday of the 88-year-old pontiff, whose passing was announced by the Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

“We also have a sense of gratitude to God for the great leadership he has given to the Church over the course of his long papacy, and this is deeply felt in Ossory and throughout Ireland,” Bishop Coll said. 

“The first Latin-American to be pope, he insisted right from the start that a key focus of his pontificate would be on ‘the peripheries’.  His preaching, teaching and travels brought him to many of the poorest and most marginalised communities on the earth to remind them of their human dignity as children of God.  

“He urged politicians and other leaders there, and everywhere, to work for peace, justice and responsible economic development.  

“The plight of the peoples of Gaza, Ukraine and in so many other theatres of conflict was constantly on his lips and in his prayers. He urged an end to violence in human affairs and underlined the need for a sense of fraternity and social friendship between peoples and nations in order to build a more just and peaceful world.”

Bishop Coll served as the Parish Priest in Townawilly before being ordained as Bishop of Ossory in January, 2023.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s he had two spells in the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. 

He said the death of Pope Francis “fills us with a deep sadness as we mourn the loss of a kind, courageous, and gentle pastor”.

Bishop Coll said the teachings and preachings of Pope Francis contained at least four persistent themes: The importance of mercy; hope; synodality; and the need to care for the early.

He said: “Finally, let me end with a quotation from Pope Francis that encapsulates so much about his faith, hope and love for God and his people: ‘We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor.  We need to include the excluded and preach peace.’

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“Catholics, other Christians and people of good will everywhere will find much to reflect upon and learn from the life and teaching of Pope Francis over the years to come. May he rest in peace.”