Bangsamoro Government mourns the death of Pope Francis
COTABATO CITY (April 22, 2025) — The Bangsamoro Government expressed sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis through the office of Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua in Cotabato City on April 22, 2025.
Here’s what the statement includes:
“We in the Bangsamoro Government, extend our deepest condolences to the Catholic Church, our Catholic residents in the region, and to all who mourn the loss of Pope Francis.
The news of his passing brings profound sadness as Pope Francis was a beacon of hope and a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue. Testament to this was his persistent and heartfelt appeals for peace in the Middle East, especially in the face of atrocities in Palestine.
He was a source of moral clarity as he continuously urged world leaders to depart from war and instead seek peaceful resolutions. These were not mere pronouncements, but a call to action and a reminder of our shared humanity.
In this time of mourning, we stand in solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters, and we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a society where peace and mutual respect are the cornerstones of our existence.”
Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the firstborn or raised outside of Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. (USM OJT STUDENT: Melody A. Bantolo, BMN/Bangsamoro Today)
