By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said that the Monday’s departure of Pope Francis marks the end of an era defined by humility, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to the service of humanity.
Atiku said this in a condolence message personally issued by him over the death of Pope Francis yesterday.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election in the country described the late Pope as a trailblazer who “dared to walk where no one has gone.”
He further called Pope Francis a shepherd of the most vulnerable who worked for a better and united world.
Pope Francis, he added, was a Pontiff who walked among the people, whose voice echoed the cries of the poor and whose hands reached toward those cast aside by the world.
Pope Francis’s papacy, Atiku maintained, was a bridge of compassion in a time of division, a balm of grace in a wounded world.
The statement by Atiku reads, “It is with a heart heavy with sorrow that I extend my deepest condolences to the Holy See, the Catholic Church in Nigeria and across the world, and the entire Christian faithful on the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis.
‘The departure of Pope Francis marks the end of an era defined by humility, moral courage, and an unwavering commitment to the service of humanity. “He was a trailblazer who “dared to walk where no one has gone.”
“He was a shepherd of the most vulnerable and worked for a better and united world.
“Pope Francis was a Pontiff who walked among the people, whose voice echoed the cries of the poor and whose hands reached toward those cast aside by the world. His papacy was a bridge of compassion in a time of division, a balm of grace in a wounded world.
“That his soul should be called home on a sacred day of Christians is a solemn and divine punctuation — one that reminds us that even as the earthly journey ends, a new and glorious dawn awaits those who have lived for others.
“To Catholics in Nigeria and beyond, and to the Christian community worldwide, I share in your sorrow and stand with you in prayer.
“May the memory of Pope Francis continue to inspire us toward unity, compassion, and peace.
“And may his soul, now freed from the burdens of this world, find eternal rest in the presence of the Almighty”, the statement concluded.
