The Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast Diocese of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle says pope Francis was a man who used his leadership to make a global impact.
According to him, the pope was a great leader who had who extended religious boundaries to promote peace and even championed environmental issues with passion to help make the world a better place.
Palmer-Buckle believes the Catholic Church has lost a true icon who will be missed.
He said the late Pope Francis was a man who lived an exemplary life and practiced what he preached.
“Most probably, we should look at the various documents, letters which he himself wrote and left. Louder To See is a document which talks about environment, about climate change, about how we were exploiting the environment instead of being stewards of the forests, of the water bodies and everything that Lord has given us.
“He called on us to really respect these. Then, he followed up not long after that with Fratelli tutti, another document in which he makes it clear that we as human beings have a very inextricable communion and contact with the environment and that if we destroy the environment, we are destroying ourselves.
“I believe going back to what he was written also, we will look back and be very impressed by the fact that this man did not only preach, he lived what he himself was convinced about,” Palmer-Buckle said in an interview with TV3, Monday, April 21, 2025.
The Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis in the morning of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025.
His Eminence, Cardinal Farrell expressed the deepest sorrow in announcing the death of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis had been unwell and experienced a string of health worries in recent years and spent 38 days in hospital in February and March 2025.
But he recovered enough to leave hospital and just yesterday (Easter Sunday) was greeting crowds in St Peter’s Square.
Many world leaders took to social media platforms, including Facebook and X, to express their condolences and pay tribute to a man widely seen as a spiritual reformer and a beacon of humility, compassion, and peace.
Read also: Pope Francis will be buried in six days in line with convention
