As the world mourns His Holiness Pope Francis, I am honoured to have the opportunity to pay tribute to him here today. Pope Francis was a champion of compassion within the church. He was elected to the papacy at a time of huge challenges and controversy for the Catholic faith. Ultimately, however, his time was marked not by those difficulties but by the true love of humanity, with all its flaws and strengths, that he brought to his office.

Pope Francis stood for the downtrodden, the vulnerable, the poor and all those who, for a long time, were not sure whether they were really welcome in church. His accepting, generous spirit reached out to Catholics like me around the world. His famous words “Who am I to judge?” marked the start of a shift in how the Catholic church approached homosexuality, but they also perfectly captured Pope Francis’s humility and compassion for others. That message meant so much to me, as a gay woman, and many others.

However, Pope Francis was not just a champion for those of Catholic faith. His message was one of acceptance and solidarity between people of all faiths. Right up until the final days of his life, he was preaching that message of acceptance and peace and praying for an end to conflicts around the globe, including in his Easter blessing on Sunday, just the day before his death. Although he was not able to deliver his full blessing himself, he still appeared in Rome to wish us all a happy Easter just two days ago, showing astounding dedication to public service even when gravely ill. He demonstrated how all of us can continue to make a difference right until the end, and he left us with the words

“May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions”,

reminding us of the value of every human life and the importance of loving our neighbour.

Pope Francis was a pope who reached out to people across the world, who gave the church a human face and personal touch, and who focused on humanity as well as divinity. His passing will be mourned for a long time by those of many different faiths, but his legacy can be celebrated as one of compassion and peace.