A special prayer service for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis

  • April 25, 2025
  • 20

On the evening of Friday, April 25, 2025, St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Ankawa witnessed a solemn celebration of a special prayer service for the repose of the soul of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed into eternal life on Monday morning, April 21, 2025.

Participating in the prayer were His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael I Sako, His Excellency Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, His Grace Archbishop Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, His Excellency Bishop Nizar Nathaniel, His Excellency Bishop Shimon Daniel, along with a number of priests, religious sisters, and a large gathering of the faithful. The service was marked by an atmosphere of deep contemplation, sorrow imbued with Christian hope, and a vibrant testimony of loyalty to the spirit of the faithful servant of the Gospel.

The prayer began with an address delivered by Father Savio Handola, followed by a hymn performed by the choir during which sisters and members of the congregation lit 88 candles before an image of the Pope near the altar, symbolizing the years of his earthly life.

The service continued with readings from the Holy Scriptures — from the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of St. Paul, and the Gospel of St. John — reflecting Pope Francis’s mission in proclaiming God’s mercy, spreading peace, and serving the Church with humility and love. Prayers were lifted to God, imploring His acceptance of the Pope’s soul into the bliss of eternal life.

In a touching Marian moment, a decade of the Rosary was prayed for the repose of the Pope’s soul, crowning the ceremony and highlighting his profound devotion to the Mother of the Church.

The service concluded with a final blessing imparted by His Beatitude the Patriarch and the esteemed bishops, who called upon the faithful to become living witnesses of mercy in the footsteps of the late Pope.

Throughout the celebration, the deep love of the ecclesial community for Pope Francis was evident — he remained, until his last days, a steadfast voice of mercy and humility, and a living symbol of hope and peace in a troubled world.