“One year has passed since the passing of the beloved Pope Francis, and the Italian people cherish the memory of his figure and his teachings with affection and gratitude,” Italian President Sergio Mattarella wrote in a tribute published on the front page of the Vatican newspaper.
“Francis possessed an acute ability to identify problems, breaking points, and the risks of division; he held the gift of looking far ahead—a hallmark of the Pontifical Magisterium—beyond the limited horizon of the immediate and contingent,” President Mattarella continued, as he hailed the late Pontiff as “a spiritual and moral leader of immense and admirable wisdom.”
The Italian president concluded, “One year after his passing, we renew our gratitude for the teachings of Francis, which stand as a beacon of hope for all people of peace.”