Statement from Bishop Louis Tylka, Diocese of Peoria,
on the death of the Holy Father

The Catholic Church and the Diocese of Peoria, along with many people of good faith, mourn the loss of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who has gone home to the Lord. We commend his soul to God.

We are grateful for the witness of faith with which he shepherded the Church through his entire life but in particular during his Pontificate over the last 12 years. The Holy Father has shown us, in word and deed, that the encounter with Jesus brings God’s overwhelming love into our lives and it is for each and every person. He has encouraged us to be a Church that is on mission, that is a Church that listens to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are on the margins. He has called us to be a people of peace. He has called us to be a people who care for the environment, and that we walk in solidarity with one another as we move and journey toward God’s eternal kingdom.

We trust that he now enjoys the fullness of life with the risen Lord. In spite of our sadness with his passing, we are a people of hope because we believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and we believe in the Resurrection. We long for the day and look forward to the day when we will once again join with the Holy Father in the great banquet of eternal life that Christ has prepared for us all.

+ BISHOP LOUIS TYLKA, DIOCESE OF PEORIA