The interim head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has paid tribute to Pope Francis as a "holy man of God" after his death on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
In a statement, the Archbishop praised the Pope as someone with "deep compassion" who was committed to service and supporting those on the margins.
On a personal level, he was "witty, lively, good to be with, and the warmth of his personality and interest in others shone out from him", the Archbishop said.
He recalled a meeting with the Pope in 2023 where the latter had shared his ecumenical vision with the words "Let us walk together, work together, pray together".
"They sum up his vision for the church, both the Roman Catholic Church but also ecumenically," said Cottrell.
"Francis’s whole life and ministry was centred on Jesus who comes among us not to be served, but to serve.
"We saw that compellingly in Francis’s service of the poor, his love of neighbour especially the displaced, migrant, the asylum seeker, his deep compassion for the well-being of the earth and his desire to lead and build the church in new ways.
"Francis showed us how to follow Jesus and encouraged us to go and do likewise."
He went on to remember the Pope as someone whose words were "supported by his deeds and actions.
"In their humility and focus on those in the margins, those actions, his whole life, was instantly recognisable as those of one who followed Jesus," he said.
Pope Francis died at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta on the morning of Easter Monday.
He had been frail since his hospitalisation in February for double pneumonia.
He made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday in St Peter's Square where he was greeted by thousands of people.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who left office earlier this year but met Francis many times during his tenure, said he would "miss him dearly".
“It is with a deep sense of personal sadness that I mourn the death of my friend, His Holiness Pope Francis," said Welby.
“With our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters – along with the global Church and many more around the world – I’m filled with a great sense of loss.
"He was a Pope who spoke not just to the Catholic church, but far beyond it. His leadership was felt powerfully among us in the Anglican Communion.
“From the very first days of his papacy he was an example of humility. He constantly reminded us of the importance of serving the poor, always standing with those who faced persecution and hardship.
“During my time as Archbishop of Canterbury, it was a great privilege to work with him in peacebuilding, not least in South Sudan. Over the years he became a friend and I will miss him deeply.”
