The Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh also described the late pontiff as “warm” and “always humorous”.
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Leo Cushley, receiving the Pallium from Pope Francis in 2014.(Image: AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTOVINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)
Tributes and messages of respect for Pope Francis have continued to pour in since his death on Easter Monday.
Sharing his personal honour for the late pontiff, Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh said he was a “warm and humorous” man.
The Archbishop was appointed to his role in 2013, and had “known and worked” with Pope Francis, saying it will “take a while to sort out his memories of him”, Edinburgh Live reports.
Following a fight with severe respiratory illness and a stay in hospital, the 88-year-old passed away on Monday, April 21. Just the day before, he had addressed crowds gathered in Rome for Easter Sunday.
From Wednesday, his body has been laid out for public viewing in St Peter’s Basilica. His funeral has been arranged for 10am local time on Saturday, April 26, and is set to be attended by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the Prince of Wales, representing King Charles.
Pope Francis appears on his balcony to speak to the crowds at the Gemelli hospital, the first time he has appeared in public since being admitted to hospital on March 23, 2025 in Rome, Italy(Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The Vatican announced his death following months of ill health. He was admitted to hospital earlier this year with bronchitis, with his condition worsening and subsequently leading to double pneumonia.
In a post to the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, the Archbishop said: “Personally, I knew him and worked with him, so it’ll take a while for me to sort out my own memories of him.
“When he was elected, I remember his first day in the office, welcoming him into the library where the popes receive the great and the good in the Apostolic Palace. He had never worked in the Vatican before that, so he had it all to learn.
“Because there had been no time to brief him beforehand, I was asked to put before him a couple of draft speeches for his official meetings that morning, with the College of Cardinals, Christian leaders from all over the world, and so on. He dutifully sat down in the big chair, picked up a draft speech, read a few lines and then put it down.
“Another priest and I waited to see if he wanted something but, instead, he looked up and gazed silently towards the other end of the room, where there is a serene painting of Christ by Perugino. And he took a minute to be still and to pray instead.
“It felt like he was still absorbing what had just happened to him, and was calmly getting ready for what was next – the rest of his life as the Bishop of Rome. He never looked afraid.”
Many rites and rituals follow the death of a pontiff(Image: Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
He continued, saying that Pope Francis was ‘interested in real people’. He added: “In fact, I always found Pope Francis warm, confident, personable, and always humorous.
“He had to meet fellow heads of state and heads of government, he had to meet endless numbers of VIPs, but his real warmth and passion was always for people, not personages. He was interested in real people, their welfare, their sufferings.
“Pope Francis was a man of our times, and through his closeness to the poor and the weak, he made us ask again whether we want a world governed by mere self-interest or one built on care and respect for each other as fellow pilgrims.”
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
In a separate eulogy given hours after his death, Archbishop of Glasgow, The Most Rev William Nolan said Pope Francis “was very keen that the church should bring hope to people” and compared him to a father.
He praised the late Pope’s “mercy” and “compassion”, proclaiming: “We are all sad. Today we have lost a father.”
He added: “His message yesterday in St Peter’s Square was a plea for peace in the world.
“Freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of thought … the futility of the senseless deaths that are happening.”