1 of 5 | Pope Leo XIV waves to supporters as he leaves after his visit to the Ngul Zamba (Power of God) orphanage April 15 in Yaounde, Cameroon. The pontiff, who is on an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa, spoke about his predecessor, Pope Francis, on Tuesday, the first anniversary of Francis’ death. Photo by Alberto Pizzoli/EPA
On Tuesday, the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, Pope Leo XIV remembered his predecessor with words about his messages of mercy, respect and fraternity.
“I would like to remember Pope Francis, who left so much, who gave so much to the church through his life, his witness, his words and his gestures,” Pope Leo said in an address to reporters while on a flight from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, Vatican News reported. “He did so by truly living closeness to the poorest, to the least, to the sick, to children and to the elderly.”
Pope Francis died April 21, 2025. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Argentina and became pope in 2013. After his death, Pope Leo (originally Robert Francis Provost) was elected to the position on May 8. He is the first United States-born pope.
Pope Leo said that his predecessor worked to “promote authentic respect for all men and women, promoting a spirit of fraternity, of being brothers and sisters, all of us, and of seeking how to live the message we find in the Gospel,” Vatican News reported.
The current pope also noted Pope Francis’ messages promoting mercy, saying he “spoke from the heart of God’s mercy, from the heart of this great love, of forgiveness and of the Lord’s generous expression of mercy.”
Pope Leo has been on a trip through Africa, including stops in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and now Equatorial Guinea, his final stop. He followed his words about Pope Francis by answering questions from reporters about the Catholic Church in Angola, EWTN News reported.
The pope said he talked about education and healthcare with Angola’s president and said the church has a duty to defend the rights of all people.
Later, Pope Leo was to address officials at the Presidential Palace in Equatorial Guinea and visit a university campus. He’s also expected to visit sites in Mongomo and Bata in the country.
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Argentina’s Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name Francis, waves from the window of St Peter’s Basilica’s balcony after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. He became the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
