ZUBIRI ON THE PASSING OF POPE FRANCIS
21 April 2025

My heart is heavy with grief for our beloved Lolo Kiko, our Pope Francis, whose papacy was marked by his extraordinary compassion and humility.

He was truly Christ-like in his leadership of the Church, always prioritizing those who are most vulnerable among us--victims of poverty, illness, war, and injustice.

In an increasingly fractured and tumultuous world, his message of love and service rang loud in its simplicity. He was a working Pope, ready to come down from the pulpit and engage with the problems of the world alongside the rest of us.

He showed us that being a Pope is not about the vestments or the ceremony. It is about being a vehicle for love and mercy.

I had the remarkable honor of meeting Pope Francis and receiving his personal blessing at the Vatican last year, and it is an experience that I will never forget. His reminder to "protect the family" will always live with me, and always guide everything that I do as a Catholic and as a public servant.

Paalam, Lolo Kiko. Maraming salamat.