Africa with over 256 million Catholics, signifying 18% of the continent’s population has been plunged into mourning since the death on Monday was confirmed of Pope Francis.
The first Latin American pope died at 07:35 local time on Easter Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a statement shortly afterwards.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in a statement said the organisation received with profound sorrow and deep sadness the news of the pontiff’s passing.
He had been ill for more than a year and was confirmed dead just hours after appearing at the St Peter’s Square to wish a happy Easter to thousands Catholic worshippers.
He described Pope Francis as ”a towering moral voice of our time and a steadfast advocate for peace, justice, compassion, and human dignity”.
He said Pope Francis will be remembered ”for his unwavering commitment to the promotion of peaceful co-existence, his service to the poor and the marginalised, his bold calls for climate justice, his relentless pursuit of dialogue among faiths and cultures, and his enduring efforts to build bridges where others saw walls”.
The AUC chieftain said the late pope’s voice carried moral clarity in an increasingly fractured world, and his legacy will resonate for generations to come.
He also paid tribute to the pope’s ”courageous engagement with the African continent, amplifying the voices of the voiceless, championing peace and reconciliation, and standing in solidarity with those affected by conflict and poverty”.
He said the AU would joins the rest of the world in honouring a life that exemplified faith in action, and in praying for comfort and strength for all who grieve this profound loss.
In a similar vein the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the late pope as a man of humility who was profoundly committed to “making the Church and the world a better place”.
His Nigeria counterpart Bola Tinubu described the late Pope Francis as a ”trenchant voice” for climate justice especially for least developed countries.
WN/as/APA