Following news of the death of Pope Francis, Bishop Helen-Ann said:
"Like so many others I received the news of the death of Pope Francis this morning with immense sadness. The fact that there has been an immediate outpouring of affection and grief from such a wide variety of people across the world, of all faiths and none tells us something about the reach of Francis’ ministry and wisdom. I have conveyed our sadness, prayer and support to my Roman Catholic episcopal colleague Bishop Stephen Wright, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle and he responded with his thanks and a shared commitment to prayer during this Easter season. Pope Francis leaves an extraordinary legacy of passionate advocacy for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its commitment to social justice and to God’s creation. We remember the Holy Father with a great sense of gratitude, and we pray today especially for our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers who are mourning the death of their spiritual leader. I have a number of Pope Francis’ books on my own bookshelf. Reaching for one this morning I came across this quote which seems timely in our world today: 'Christian hope is not just a desire or wish or sense of optimism: for a Christian, hope is fervent expectation, impassioned by the ultimate and definitive fulfilment of a mystery, the mystery of God’s love, in which we are born again and which we already experience' (A Gift of Joy and Hope, 2020). Into our sadness today, we bring God’s eternal joy through the resurrection of Christ as we commend Pope Francis to God’s everlasting mercy and love. May he rest in peace, and rise in glory."