General Assembly Hall
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, while honouring and remembering his enduring legacy.
To the faithful around the world, Pope Francis was more than the leader of the Catholic Church.
He was a moral voice and a global conscience.
With humility and courage, he championed the dignity of the marginalised, the poor, and the voiceless.
We recall his historic address to this Assembly in 2015.
In it, he reminded us that the pursuit of the common good must guide all our actions—whether in politics, economics, or diplomacy.
He urged all nations to rise above self-interest and to act in solidarity with future generations.
His Holiness never ceased to remind us that human dignity is a collective responsibility.
That our lives are bound together, and that no one should be excluded from the fruits of human progress.
That we must not allow anyone to remain on the margins of society or in poverty.
Today, we pay tribute not only to the head of the Catholic Church, but to a man whose compassion crossed borders and transcended faiths.
As we grieve his passing, let us honour his memory.
Not only through words, but through action.
Let us strive to build a world that reflects the values he lived by: humility, justice, mercy, and hope.
May His Holiness Pope Francis rest in eternal peace.
May his legacy inspire this Assembly to fulfil its highest calling—to uphold the dignity and unity of everyone, everywhere.
Thank you.