"Let all of us recommit ourselves to bringing the kind of peace Pope Francis reached for, a just and lasting peace, to not only Gaza but to all corners of the world. We can do good and lend a hand. Let our recommitment to the peace be the legacy of Pope Francis, a peace he knew relied on freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others."

Address to the Federation Chamber, Condolences

Wednesday 30 July 2025

It is with both sadness and gratitude that I rise today in this place to pay tribute to the life and legacy of one of the great figures of our times, His Holiness Pope Francis. I do so as someone who represents an electorate with a strong and generous Catholic community, and I do so, too, as someone who, while an imperfect Catholic myself, knows the power that faith can have in shaping lives, communities and a better world.

I begin this reflection by reflecting that we are in a time of first speeches. Over the last fortnight, this place has been filled with the extraordinary stories of the journeys of new parliamentarians to this place. We have heard stories of struggle, resilience and hope. Elections can well be a time of grief, but they are also times of renewal and hope and opportunity.

His Holiness, in his first, brief address—this first leader of the Catholic Church from the Southern Hemisphere and from the Americas—provided a simple message of hope and fraternity, inviting us to join him on 'a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust'. Then, in his first homily, His Holiness spoke of the importance of walking in faith, building faith and professing faith, recognising that this is not easy and that there will always be something pulling us back. There will always be buts, but to truly walk, build and profess takes courage and grace.

His Holiness Pope Francis led a papacy which was marked by his unflinching commitment to social justice and peace. He was the first pope from Latin America and, as such, the first pope born and raised outside of Europe since the eighth century.

The approach of Pope Francis to his time in office was a marked change from that of some of his predecessors. Where there was once stiff formality, Pope Francis adopted a position of informality. Pope Francis reached for clarity and sought to open the doors of the church to all. Pope Francis in particular sought to be a pope for the poor, the dispossessed and the marginalised. He understood the immense influence his position afforded him and he sought to use that power to help and heal.

He was also committed to opening the decision-making process of the church. Pope Francis worked for an expanded role for women and lay people in the life of the church—work which I trust will continue. His commitment to interfaith dialogue and connection was also unshakeable. In particular, the visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia comes to mind. He was also committed to using his role in a way that was both contemporary and relevant to the greatest challenges which face humanity today. His two great encyclicals laid bare the climate crisis and the urgent need for action.

But the office of Pope has both a spiritual and a political role. Pope Francis was very much a pope suited to his times. He faced a world marked by conflict, division and crisis. His commitment was to peace, not the peace which follows the absence of conflict but the peace that is a consequence of the presence of justice. He decried that millions of people worldwide continue to suffer from malnutrition, citing armed conflict and climate change, with the resulting national disasters, as key culprits. He said:

Mass displacement, in addition to the other effects of global political, economic and military tensions, undermines efforts to ensure that people's living conditions are improved on the basis of their inherent dignity. It bears repeating time and again: poverty, inequalities, lack of access to basic resources such as food, drinking water, health, education, housing, are a serious affront to human dignity!

Pope Francis called for peace in every instance of conflict, and he had a particular focus on the violence and suffering in Gaza. As it does all of us, the scale of violence and destruction deeply troubled Pope Francis. He made a daily phone call to Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family Church, Gaza's only Catholic church. The church had recently been badly damaged in an Israeli strike.

I'm drawn to the 2025 Easter message of Pope Francis, essentially his final statement to the world. In his message, Pope Francis drew a powerful link between the hope of Easter and the urgent need for peace and justice around the world. He called for peace in Gaza, saying:

… I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation. I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!

As we stand here and reflect upon that towering legacy of Pope Francis, it is incumbent on all of us to move beyond mere words. As we witness immense suffering and violence not only in Gaza but around the world, we must turn to the example of Pope Francis. If we truly care about respecting his spiritual leadership and the consequences of that leadership, we need to act on his powerful words and deeds. Let all of us recommit ourselves to bringing the kind of peace Pope Francis reached for, a just and lasting peace, to not only Gaza but to all corners of the world. We can do good and lend a hand. Let our recommitment to the peace be the legacy of Pope Francis, a peace he knew relied on freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.

Pope Francis invited world leaders to join him and, in his words, 'emerge from the dark night of wars and environmental devastation in order to turn our common future into the dawn of a new and radiant day'. That is the invitation Pope Francis provided to all of us, not just those of the Catholic faith. This is the invitation that we need both courage and grace to accept.