South Africa mourns death of Pope Francis, a unifying figure and a voice for the poor

South African leaders have joined the global outpouring of grief following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Remembered as a unifying figure and a voice for the poor, his passing marks the end of a profoundly influential papacy.

Francis had been suffering from pneumonia with severe respiratory infection this year which led to his admission to hospital in February. The last report on his health was in March, when the Vatican said the pope was no longer using mechanical ventilation to help him breathe at night and that his doctors believed he would continue to improve.

The pope’s last public appearance was for Easter Sunday at the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square. The next day, Easter Monday, the Vatican announced he had died at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. 

Tributes have been pouring in, with many reflecting on the pope’s consistent advocating for the marginalised, the poor and refugees. 

His vision was “a poor Church for the poor”, and this sense of humanity and humility was reiterated through the tributes that continue to pour in from South Africa.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. pic.twitter.com/jUIkbplVi2

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 21, 2025

President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “Catholics and people of all faiths are saddened today by the passing of a spiritual leader who sought to unite humanity and wished to see a world governed by fundamental human values.

“As the leader of the Church and a global figurehead, Pope Francis advanced a worldview of inclusion, equality and care for marginalised individuals and groups, as well as responsible and sustainable custody of the natural environment.”

This was shared in a statement released by the Presidency on Monday, in which Ramaphosa said that the pope’s death, following so soon after the celebration of Easter, would extend this traditional period of prayer and reflection, to unite the Church and the international community in reflecting on the Holy Father’s life and legacy.

Pope Francis poses for a picture with a child during the meeting with thousands of altar boys at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on 4 August 2015. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December 1936, he was appointed leader of the Catholic Church on 13 March 2013, succeeding pontiff Emeritus Benedict XVI. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Giorgi Onorati)

Faithful at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Angelo Carconi)

Stephen Brislin, cardinal archbishop of Johannesburg told Daily Maverick that he hoped the Catholic community would find solace in the momentous timing of the pope’s death on Easter Monday, which coincides with the Christian belief in resurrection and the idea that life is changed, not ended.

“He was a pope that I believe inspired many, many people and gave many people hope. His emphasis was always on compassion, on forgiveness and on mercy,” Brislin said.

“When we are remembering the resurrection of Jesus Christ and our own belief in resurrection again, we realise that as we pray in the funeral liturgy of the Catholic Church, life is changed, not ended.

“And so, while we believe that there’s certainly the physical death, we believe that he still lives, and that is a person who has always served God throughout his life, and has also served the church.”

He added that the first thing about Pope Francis was his sense of humanity, “that he was calling us all back to humanity, to being people who don’t simply judge and condemn others, but that we can be compassionate and merciful towards them”.

For South Africa, Brislin said, the pope had a great sense of the needs and the problems being faced as a country and always treated the bishops of southern Africa with enormous respect and a great deal of friendliness and empathy.

A man stands among a crowd of the faithful Faithful at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican following the pope’s death on 21 April 2025. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Angelo Carconi)

Pope Francis attends the Stations of the Cross with young people on Meeting Hill at Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, Portugal, on 4 August 2023. He visited the country for World Youth Day, an international Catholic rally inaugurated by St John Paul II to invigorate young people in their faith. (Photo: Miguel A Lopes / Getty Images)

“As Catholics, we do feel a tremendous sense of loss, but at the same time, Pope Francis was a person of the resurrection. Even in his suffering he was always joyful, always full of life, and we can all learn from that,” he added.

Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba said that for many around the world, including people of all faiths and of none, the distinguishing characteristic of his papacy was how close they felt to him. 

And that as “the last globally recognised moral voice in our confused times, he gave us clear guidance in a complex and polarised political world”.

Makgoba said the poor of the world will miss him the most as a champion and custodian of their hopes and dreams. 

“He was an incredible, prophetic pastor whose vision was a ‘church of the poor for the poor’, to quote one of his favourite sayings. We are deeply grateful to him for holding before us the image of the church as a field hospital, and for the incredible ways in which he embraced the marginalised, begging priests to identify with them as ‘shepherds living with the smell of the sheep’,” said Makgoba.

While he led the world’s Catholics, Makgoba said he also gave leadership to the whole Christian family. 

“The greater Christian family will miss him as a great human being and a great church leader. In my last brief conversation with him, I asked him to pray for me. His reply, ‘Ora pro nobis tamquam ego vobis’ – ‘Pray for us as I do for you’ – made me feel, just as many including Lungi did, that I had a place in his heart,

“His memory will be etched in my heart forever, and I pray that his soul will rest in God’s peace,” said Makgoba.

For Makgoba, Brislin and for so many around the globe, the pope’s death feels almost like a personal loss.

South African political parties also shared their condolences. ActionSA and the DA released statements on Monday, sharing their thoughts for the Catholic community in South Africa and remarking on the pope’s progressive leadership of the Church, as well as his constant compassion for those in need.

DA leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said: “As Head of State of the Vatican City State, and head of the Holy See, Pope Francis did not shy away from courageous positions seeking peace and tolerance for all. May he rest in eternal peace and love.” 

ActionSA’s national spokesperson and MP Lerato Ngobeni said: “ In what may be the most touching of farewells, Pope Francis, in his final hours, led the Church through the sacred celebration of Easter, leaving us with a solemn message just yesterday on Resurrection Sunday, “that we must run, hearts filled with joy, to meet the Lord”. 

Pope Francis appears on his balcony to speak to the crowds at the Gemelli hospital in Rome on 23 March 2025, the first time he appeared in public since being admitted to hospital on 14 February with a respiratory tract infection and double ­pneumonia. (Photo: Christopher Furlong / Getty Images)

Pope Francis at Laeken Castle in Brussels on 27 September 2024 during an official visit to Luxembourg and Belgium. (Photo: Sébastien Courdji / Getty Images)

What happens next?

Father Paul Ajong of the BVM Relic of Saint Blaise explained what happens when a pope dies and the ensuing processes.

“Upon the death of a pope, the Church enters a period known as the sede vacante, Latin for “the seat being vacant”. During this time:

“The governance of the universal Church shifts to the College of Cardinals, who manage day-to-day matters but may not make decisions reserved for the pope.

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“The camerlengo, a cardinal appointed by the pope, oversees the papal household and prepares for the election of the next pope. The current camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church is Cardinal Kevin Farrell. He was appointed to the role by Francis in 2019 and also serves as prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. 

“A conclave will be convened in the Vatican, during which the cardinal electors, under the age of 80, will prayerfully and confidentially select the next successor of St Peter. This is a solemn and sacred process, guided by centuries of tradition and the ever-present work of the Holy Spirit. As of April 21, 2025 there are 138 cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote in a papal conclave. These cardinals make up the majority of the College of Cardinals.”

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) and the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) said that the Pope’s public appearance in the Vatican on Sunday 20 April, greeting congregants who were gathered for the Easter Sunday service offering the blessing, was now realised as his final goodbye.

SACC general secretary Rev Mzwandile Molo, said: “Just as we celebrated the resurrection of Christ, Pope Francis’ departure can be seen as his own ascension into the presence of God—a dignified and graceful transition befitting a life devoted to faith and service.

Molo added that the passing of the Holy Father marked the conclusion of his journey of papacy, defined by humility, compassion and the tenderness of God’s heart especially for the weak and vulnerable in the world.

“As we mourn his passing and celebrate his life, we are encouraged by the reality of the resurrection he celebrated with the world yesterday. His life is a testament to the truth that life eventually overcomes death and light overcomes darkness,” he said.

Molo said he hoped the legacy of Pope Francis would continue to inspire compassion, humility, and a steadfast commitment to justice within the global Catholic community.

Speaking on behalf of the SACBC Thulani Mbuyisa, Bishop of Kokstad, told Daily Maverick that the Pope visited several countries in Africa that were at war, to shine light on the suffering of the people in such wars while bringing hope to the people affected by the war.

“He was a peace maker. He believed peace making is an integral part of the Church's mission. He was involved in the mediation in the wars happening in the various parts of the world, including the war in Sudan, in Mozambique, DRC, the Middle East, Ukraine,” said Mbuyisa.

The SACC said that Cardinal Brislin will be going to the Conclave, and he will be voting for the next Pope — just as the previous Cardinal Wilfrid Napier was there for the election of Pope Francis. DM

This article has been edited to reflect that Cardinal Archbishop Stephen Breslin is now stationed in Johannesburg and not in Cape Town.