TITLE: In memory of Pope Francis.

SUMMARY: In memory of Pope Francis.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, People the world over are mourning the loss of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, shortly after offering his Easter Sunday blessing to the faithful gathered in the Vatican's Saint Peter's Square; and WHEREAS, Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Pope Francis was the son of Mario and Regina Bergoglio, and he was deeply influenced by his grandmother, Rosa Bergoglio, who had been active in the Catholic Action movement in Italy before the family emigrated to Argentina; at age 12, he entered a school run by Salesian priests, who instilled in him a sense of duty to the poor, and he accepted his calling at the age of 16; he was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969; and WHEREAS, Pope Francis was appointed to lead the Jesuit order in Argentina in 1973; during the "Dirty War" that took place during the rule of the country's repressive military junta, he quietly worked to save the lives of many people; he went on to serve in Germany and then in the Argentine city of C rdoba; in 1992, he was named auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires diocese, and six years later, he became archbishop; during his time in that role, he helped relieve the suffering caused by Argentina's economic crisis, organizing food kitchens, tripling the number of priests assigned to the slums, and building schools and drug rehabilitation centers; and WHEREAS, Named a cardinal in 2001, he became a leading voice in the church; by the time Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013, Pope Francis was preparing for retirement; instead, he was elected pope, becoming the first Jesuit and the first member of the church from Latin America to serve as pontiff; he was also the first to choose the name Francis, and like St. Francis of Assisi, he embraced a humble life of service to the most vulnerable; demonstrating good humor and an avuncular charm that belied his steely determination, he became a global voice for justice and compassion; he took more than 40 trips abroad, many to places long overlooked, in order to meet with his flock and build interfaith bridges; at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he offered hope and consolation via regular video livestreams; he involved Catholics worldwide in a process of renewal, engaging the laity, welcoming a variety of opinions, and choosing many cardinals from Latin America, Asia, and Africa; even as he grew frail and battled ill health, he continued to travel widely, especially striving to bring peace to war-torn regions; and WHEREAS, Now, with the death of this beloved pope, Cardinal Kevin Farrell of the United States has become acting head of the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected; born in Ireland, Cardinal Farrell is a naturalized U.S. citizen and spent many years ministering in the U.S., particularly as the Bishop of Dallas; he now holds the position of camerlengo, temporarily overseeing the day-to-day administration of the Vatican and making arrangements for the upcoming conclave in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pope; and WHEREAS, Another adopted Texan, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who was previously the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and was recently succeeded by Archbishop Joe S. V squez, will vote in the upcoming conclave for the election of the new pontiff; and WHEREAS, Pope Francis was a transformative figure, and he will remain a tremendous source of inspiration, not only to his fellow Catholics, but to countless people who have been heartened by his message of enduring mercy and love; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Pope Francis and extend deepest condolences to all who mourn his passing. Anch a Craddick Thompson Moody Phelan Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw Alders Guillen Morgan Allen Harless Mu oz Anch a Harris Noble Ashby Harris Davila Olcott Barry Harrison Oliverson Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr Bernal Hernandez Patterson Bhojani Hickland Paul Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso Bowers Holt Perez of Harris Bryant Hopper Phelan Buckley Howard Pierson Bucy Hull Plesa Bumgarner Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Cain Johnson Richardson Campos Jones of Dallas Rodr guez Ramos Canales Jones of Harris Romero Capriglione Kerwin Rose Cole King Rosenthal Collier Kitzman Schatzline Cook LaHood Schofield Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft Craddick Lambert Shaheen Cunningham Landgraf Shofner Curry Leach Simmons Darby Leo Wilson Slawson A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico Dorazio Louderback Tepper Dutton Lowe Thompson Dyson Lozano Tinderholt Fairly Lujan Toth Flores Luther Troxclair Frank Manuel Turner G mez Martinez VanDeaver Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell Gates Metcalf Vo Gerdes Meyer Walle Geren Meza Ward Johnson Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton Gonz lez of Dallas Moody Wilson Gonz lez of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 945 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 24, 2025. Chief Clerk of the House