00:30I'm William Nolan, I'm the Archbishop of Glasgow and we're here in the Catholic Cathedral in Glasgow.
00:36I was just celebrating a Mass marking the death, the passing of Pope Francis.
00:40Well this morning I think there is sadness in our hearts. It wasn't unexpected.
00:44We knew the Pope was 88, we knew he'd had a serious illness and so it wasn't a surprise that he died.
00:51But there's still sadness when that happens.
00:54I felt very close to the Pope. I know many people in Scotland felt very close to the Pope as well,
00:59with great affection, whether it was Catholics or whether it was people of other faiths and none.
01:03So we feel we've lost a father, we've lost a great spiritual guide,
01:07and we've lost, I think, someone who we felt was a genuinely human, humble man.
01:14And so there's sadness at that.
01:17But at the same time, this is Easter, you know, and we've just celebrated the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus.
01:22So this is someone reaching the end of their life's journey and going back to be with God.
01:27That gives us great hope, and that's a cause of joy.
01:29That, and of course, also a feeling of thanksgiving in our hearts as well.
01:33We had Francis for 12 years as Pope.
01:35I don't think when he was appointed Pope in the age of 76 that we thought we'd have him for 12 years,
01:41but we have had him for 12 years, and it's been a great blessing to the Church,
01:44and we give thanks to God for that.
01:47I thought it was important to be here today to mark the life of Pope Francis,
01:53who will be, of course, a huge loss to Scotland's Catholic communities,
01:56but actually to Catholics right around the world.
01:59And Pope Francis was more than just a great representative of the Catholic community.
02:03He was loved and respected by people of all faiths and none.
02:06And if you think about the level of injustice and war that there is around the world right now,
02:12if we can all encapsulate a bit of the equality and peace and justice of Pope Francis,
02:17then I think our world would be a much better place.
02:19And his last message was talking about peace and the importance of recognising people of all faiths and none,
02:26and looking out for those less fortunate.
02:28That's something I think all of us can learn from,
02:31and the world would be a much better, safer place if we could all live a bit more of Pope Francis.
02:36So I think those fundamental values of dignity and peace will be his lasting legacy.
02:41We've been aware that the Pope has been in bad health for some time.
02:44It still comes as a deeply sad moment for Catholics in Glasgow and across the world.
02:49I think Pope Francis' election 12 years ago was a moment that was really exciting for Catholics,
02:57particularly because he was the first non-European Catholic to be elected Pope in many centuries,
03:04and also because he brought a really interesting perspective to practising Catholics,
03:09which was unique perhaps in recent years for those of a younger generation,
03:15preaching mercy, preaching compassion,
03:18and preaching a church that should be a poor church for the poor.
03:22And I think that was really powerful, certainly from my perspective,
03:25perhaps bringing more of a socialist perspective to my outlook on life,
03:28and marrying up that with my own faith that I was brought up in.
03:31I think that was a really powerful thing for younger people,
03:34and perhaps people of a more progressive perspective,
03:37that we had a Pope that represented those values,
03:39speaking for peace in the world, speaking for compassion,
03:41and speaking for a check on bridal capitalism and market forces
03:46that are so exploitative in our world today.
03:49I would like to see that legacy continue in the Catholic Church, I think,
03:52in a world riven by conflict and huge existential challenges,
03:55whether it's climate, whether it's the immense inequality of wealth in our society.
03:59We need to see spiritual leadership in tackling those huge structural problems
04:04that are leading to so much alienation and despair in our world today.
04:08I think a lot of Scots are feeling a deep sense of disconnect and alienation in general in life,
04:14whether it's the cost of living, whether it's a sense of despair in their lives,
04:18and actually, you know, they're yearning for some sort of spiritual connection,
04:22something that even at the meditative level can be useful for them,
04:25and I think that's where the church can offer a real place of sanctuary,
04:28a real place of focus and reflection.
04:30You don't have to be, you know, religious and doctrinaire,
04:34but actually I find a lot more people coming back to church in recent years,
04:37just anecdotally, because they feel that resonance and connection with it.
04:41Whether it's just Easter, like we've seen the attendances over Easter
04:44being really good in Glasgow at churches,
04:46but also other times of the year more regularly people are reconnecting with the church,
04:50particularly where there's a real mission,
04:52whether it's helping people seeking asylum,
04:54whether it's helping people who are in poor health,
04:57or whether it's about poverty,
04:59whether there's a real mission and a real focus on leadership from a church congregation,
05:03that can be a really powerful thing for a community.
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