Humble Pope Francis I brought solace to world

THE flags are at half-mast on government buildings across the UK. This is fitting.

- 

Pope Francis, who died yesterday morning aged 88, was the most important religious figure in the world - spiritual leader to 1.4 billion Catholics - and a brave, steadfast pontiff who managed to give an Easter Sunday blessing at the Vatican before dying early on Easter Monday.

The death of a pope will always be big news. But somehow the death of Pope Francis, incumbent since 2013, has been even more momentous.

Perhaps it plays to the sense that the world is in crisis and in need of healing.

Pope Francis was interested in climate change, social justice and reaching out across religious communities, and presided over important events like the 2019 global summit on the child sexual abuse scandal.