April 22, Pozirk. Iosif Stanieŭski, archbishop of Minsk and Mahiloŭ who heads the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Belarus, has noted Pope Francis’s “diligent and sacrificial service to the church and all mankind,” catholic.by quotes him as saying.
“By encouraging the priests, monks, and all the people of the Church of God in Belarus to pray for the soul of His Holiness, we entrust our beloved Pope Francis to the merciful Jesus, confident, as he taught us, that ‘everything is revealed in mercy and everything is decided in the merciful love of the Father,’” Stanieŭski said, urging believers to pray for the deceased pontiff.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was elected pope in March 2013 and died yesterday aged 88. His health deteriorated in recent few years. In mid-February, he was hospitalized with severe bronchitis and pneumonia. The cause of death was stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure, Vatican News reported.
The pontiff called for the release of prisoners of war and political prisoners in the Urbi et Orbi Easter message two days ago.
