Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has in a moving tribute to Pope Francis revealed that the late pope called him after his resignation last November.
While not disclosing the main points of the decision, Welby noted that it was “typical of the person who was, above all, a pastor … It was all the time his instinct to attach and to comfort”.
As an additional example of this, Welby pointed to the late pope’s special reference to the Holy Family Church in Gaza. The church is one in every of only three within the region and is the one Catholic church.
With the continuing conflict between Israel and Hamas, greater than half of Gaza’s Christian population is believed to be taking refuge within the church.
Even while he was in hospital for what he called his “period of trial”, Pope Francis called the church nearly each day and thanked them for his or her prayers and closeness to him, in addition to offering his own blessing upon them.
In his tribute, written for The Independent, Welby spoke of the over and over he met Pope Francis, including their first encounter.
Recalling nerves and a way of awe on the grandeur of the Vatican, he was caught off-guard by Pope Francis’ first words to him by which he apparently said, “I’m senior to you.”
He was relieved to find in the subsequent fast that it was a joke because the pope finished his sentence: “… by three days.”
“He was inaugurated that much before me: in March, earlier that yr. We each laugh and there are the beginnings of a friendship,” said Welby.
The former Archbishop also spoke warmly of Pope Francis’ joint attempts with him to bring peace in Sudan and of his frustrations with Vatican politics and of his ability to deliver easy and clear sermons.
He said his legacy was “to be a pope of affection, serving the God of affection, who emptied himself, taking the shape of a servant, like Jesus Christ”.
“That love was returned – and it’s that love that God’s church is named to sow, nurture and see from it a harvest, in God’s time,” said Welby.
 Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has in a moving tribute to Pope Francis revealed that...){kind=link}