I am deeply saddened by the recent death of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who died at 7:35am, Rome time, today (21 April 2025). A full statement has been issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, and can be read here.

As a Catholic university, we at Leeds Trinity University unite with the whole Church in expressing our sincere sense of loss. We pray in thanksgiving for his leadership, and we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the College of Cardinals meet to discern his successor.  

Pope Francis was appointed in March 2013, and since then he has been a source of inspiration for young and old alike. He has continually drawn from the beauty of the Catholic tradition to challenge a contemporary world in its pursuit of the common good and protection of human dignity; these are key principles of Catholic social teaching, which we value highly here as an institution. May the legacy of his Pontificate sustain us in our own mission to transform the world for the better.

Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
Amen.

Charles