My thoughts and condolences are with the Catholic community in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, and with the 1.4 billion Catholics across the world who today mourn the loss of a remarkable spiritual leader.
As Holy Week drew to a close, it meant a great deal to see Pope Francis gather the strength to greet the faithful in St Peterโs Square on Easter Sundayโa final act of devotion that captured his lifelong commitment to the people he served.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis stood as a beacon of humility, compassion and justice. He never shied away from speaking uncomfortable truths, giving voice to those who went unheard, and offering a steady moral anchor in a world too often divided and uncertain.
He reminded us all of the power of kindness, the importance of dignity, and the need to walk alongside the most vulnerable.
โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง. ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ช๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ก๐ก.โ
May he rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire people of all faiths and none, around the world.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 