Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:01): I move: That the House record its sadness at the death, on 21 April 2025, of His Holiness Pope Francis, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, places on record its gratitude for his life of service, compassion and leadership, and tender its sympathy to Australian Catholics and people of all faiths who mourn his passing. Pope Francis was the first pontiff to take the name of St Francis of Assisi. In the spirit of his namesake he shaped his papacy as a force to champion the poor, as a force of hope and as a light to guide us through the dark. Like St Francis the late Pope sought to fashion a gentler, kinder and more loving world. No matter how overwhelming and elusive that goal must have seemed, Francis's compassion remained tireless and boundless, embracing all humanity. In a world rife with division the holy father reminded us of all that we have in common and that what connects us above all is our humanity. He may have been a pope from the Americas and the head of a church based in Europe, yet the Holy Father Pope Francis had a focus on our part of the world. His message of unity, love and peace followed him on his historic tour of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Timor-Leste. The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, he was close to the hearts of Australia's five million Catholics. I extend my condolences to those Australians of faith and all Australians who heard Pope Francis and chose to heed his message of love, whether they were Catholic, of another faith or of none. What took the holy father's quiet words of compassion and tolerance to ears and hearts across the world was the gentle power of his humility and the unyielding strength of his grace. In remembering the holy father I also wish strength and grace to his successor, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, whom I had the great privilege of meeting at the Vatican. In Pope Leo the world finds a man and a leader to meet the times and to carry Pope Francis's legacy forward. I was deeply touched that the Holy Father Pope Leo presented me with an artwork encapsulating the spirit of Pope Francis. Entitled The Care of Creation it depicts a pair of protective hands symbolising our shared responsibility to safeguard life and the natural world with which we are so deeply interconnected. I keep this artwork in my office along with Pope Leo's accompanying note, which explains how Pope Francis emphasised this sense of interconnectedness in his apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum. As Pope Francis wrote: … our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately bound together. Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community. The effects of climate change are borne by the most vulnerable people, whether at home or around the world. As we mourn Pope Francis's death and celebrate his life, I am again reminded of the bright hope contained in his final Easter homily: The light quietly shines forth, even though we are in darkness; the promise of new life and a world finally set free awaits us; and a new beginning, however impossible it might seem, can take us by surprise, for Christ has triumphed over death. May this man of peace be granted everlasting peace. May his example of a just and loving way live among us always. And make God welcome Pope Francis to eternal life.