Asia grieves for Pope Francis His humility brought many back to the fold of the Church

MANILA – The death of Pope Francis has stirred an outpouring of grief across Asia, where the Argentina-born pontiff was regarded not just as the head of the Catholic Church, but also as a rare global figure of moral clarity and compassion.

He was 88, and had recently survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

In the Philippines, home to Asia’s largest Catholic population, the bells of Manila Cathedral tolled on the afternoon of April 21 as news of the Pope’s passing spread.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Pope Francis will be remembered for leading “with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten”.

“By example, Pope Francis taught us that to be a good Christian is to extend kindness and care to one another. His humility brought many back to the fold of the Church,” Mr Marcos posted on his official Facebook page.

The sorrow is deeply personal for Filipinos, whose country has 85 million Catholics out of a population of 108 million. Many remember Pope Francis’ historic four-day visit in January 2015, when he celebrated an open-air mass in Manila that drew a staggering seven million devotees, making it the largest papal gathering in history.

“This is heartbreaking news for the faithful, and for those like me who only slowly found their way to faith because someone at the helm reminded us that the Church could also be a place to breathe,” said Filipino sociologist Ashley Presto on X. “Pope Francis made being Catholic less morally suffocating.”