Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, sadly passed away this week, and his funeral took place today.

Head of a church that represents over 1.4 billion souls across the globe, Francis was well liked by his flock as well as other leaders on the world stage.

In his 12 years as Pontiff, he was noted for his humility, his international visibility, and his commitment to interreligious dialogue.

Famously more informal in his approach to his office than the majority of his predecessors had been, Francis has been consistently heralded as an accomplished diplomat, and a forward thinking church leader whose stances on the international abolition of the death penalty and the decriminalisation of homosexuality were among the many hallmarks of a noble career.

As the thousands of mourners who have flocked to St Peter’s this week will doubtlessly attest, it is a monstrous understatement to say that he will be missed.

I remember visiting Rome not too long after Pope Francis’s inauguration. I’m not religious myself, though I have always been fascinated by religion and the history that comes with it.

I had been cynically told many times........

© Shropshire Star