The Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Sen. Dr. Tony Nwoye, has extended his heartfelt condolences to His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Maduka Okeke, the Metropolitan of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province and Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, as well as to the entire Catholic community in Anambra State, Nigeria, and across the globe, on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the 266th Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome (Summus Pontifex Ecclesiae Universalis, Episcopus Romanus), who died on April 21, 2025.
In a solemn condolence message, Dr. Tony Nwoye expressed his sympathy to all Catholics and the broader Christian faithful on the loss of Pope Francis, whom he described as a devoted servant of God renowned for his humility, deep emphasis on God’s mercy, love for the poor, commitment to the marginalized, and dedication to interfaith dialogue.
Dr. Nwoye highlighted that the 12-year papacy of the late Vicar of Christ, which began on March 13, 2013, and concluded on April 21, 2025, was marked by his papal motto “Miserando atque eligendo”—translated as “by having mercy, by choosing him”—a phrase drawn from the 21st homily of Saint Bede on the Gospel of Matthew; a motto, which the late Pope adopted since his episcopal consecration in 1991, reflective of his spiritual vision rooted in mercy and discipleship, and thus his papacy was characterized by pastoral simplicity, accessibility, and numerous ecclesiastical reforms that revitalized the spiritual lives of millions of Catholics around the world.
The distinguished Senator also reflected on the historic significance of Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, as a pope of many firsts: the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first non-European pope since the 8th century all of which he described as signs of divine providence and grace.
As the Universal Church observes this solemn moment of mourning, Dr. Nwoye offered prayers of thanksgiving for the life and service of Pope Francis, and prays for the peaceful repose of his soul; asking God to grant him a place among the saints in heaven, and grant comfort and strength for the Roman Catholic Church as it grieves the loss of this remarkable spiritual leader.
