Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay my respects following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis and to honour a life of humility, conviction and extraordinary service not only to the Catholic Church but to all of humanity. Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina and was born in December 1936. He felt called to the church at an early age, entering the Jesuit order in 1958 and being ordained as a priest in 1969. He took his final vows in the Jesuit order in 1973 and subsequently served as superior of the Jesuit province of Argentina until 1979. He later became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was consecrated as a cardinal in 2001.

His humility was well known before his election to the papacy. During a period of economic crisis in Argentina beginning in the late 1990s, Francis lived in a simple downtown apartment rather than the archbishop's residence. He also travelled using public transport or by foot rather than in a chauffeured limousine. He finally became Pope in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He was the first South American pope, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis. The papacy did not strip Francis of his humility nor his desire to be a champion for the poor. Despite his high office, Pope Francis continued to live simply and frugally and carried out the ethos of Catholic social justice.

As the first non-European pope in over a thousand years, he was devoted to the global nature of the church. This was exemplified through His Holiness's visiting nations in our own region, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. As Pope, Francis sought to promote unity between Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians, as well as act as a voice for peace and conflicts broke out. Pope Francis also sought to address the dark history of sexual abuse within the church through public apologies to survivors and his urging of bishops to reach out to them. As the former leader of the opposition pointed out at the time of his passing, His Holiness, above all else, was driven by Christ's values of mercy and forgiveness. He emphasised those values in his last Christmas address, saying:

God's mercy can do all things. It unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; it dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.

My mother scrimped and saved to provide my siblings and I with a Catholic education in Kalgoorlie. This experience has helped to shape the values I hold dear to this day—those values of service, dignity, discipline, family and care for the vulnerable. These are values that Pope Francis not only preached but lived, and they are deeply embedded in the Catholic community of my own electorate of Durack.

According to the most recent census, Catholicism is the largest religious denomination in Durack, with nearly 34,000 believers. The magnificent St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Geraldton, built in 1916, stands not only as a beacon of spiritual life but as a testament to the resilience, beauty and unity of our region's Catholic community. It draws tourists, locals and parishioners alike, serving as a centrepiece of faith, art and architectural heritage. Designed by the famous monsignor John Hawes, it took 22 years to build—and let me tell you, it is magnificent. I'd like to acknowledge and give thanks to Bishop Morrissey, the Bishop of Geraldton, for his leadership and pastoral care for the needs of our local community members.

For those families of faith, Pope Francis passing is not only a global moment of mourning; it is personal. It is a moment of loss—the loss of a spiritual leader who spoke directly to the heart of the everyday believer. These are moments in history we must pause and reflect upon, much like the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as these are moments that remind us of what dignified leadership looks like. Just as Her Majesty in her final days fulfilled her duty in appointing Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Pope Francis defied his doctors' orders to visit inmates of a Roman prison. These actions are emblematic of two lives defined by faith, duty and quiet strength. Both did their duty right to the end, and both served as leaders we should all look up to.

Census data makes clear that more Australians are turning away from organised religion. While this may be so, whether you are a person of faith or not, I believe we can all learn from the example of Pope Francis, and may he rest in peace. I'll conclude my remarks by extending my best wishes to the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. May he lead with wisdom, compassion and strength as he leads the church in to a new era. I thank the House.

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