Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Hansard source

It's a privilege to stand here today and follow the fine words of all the speakers on this condolence motion for Pope Francis. Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope, and, as someone who was educated by the Jesuits, I always followed his time in office with a great interest. One of the things that really struck me about Pope Francis was that he truly did practise what he preached. When it comes to those especially who are in positions of power who want to offer spiritual guidance to us all, there is no greater attribute than practising what you preach. On behalf of all the Catholics in Wannon and on behalf of everyone in Wannon, I offer condolences to his family and thank Pope Francis for his service to the world and to the broader Catholic community.

I think it's fitting that the first Jesuit pope and first pope from the Americas should come from Argentina and should come from Buenos Aires. For those who've been to Buenos Aires, for those who know and understand Argentina, you know and understand the importance of the Catholic Church to that nation. Growing up in and around that would have given him an extraordinary understanding of the power of Catholicism and the power of spiritual teaching. It also would have given him a very clear understanding of the challenges that still face the globe when it comes to making sure that we spiritually serve those who are well off and those who aren't. The fact that Pope Francis, even when he was in the highest position in the Catholic Church, still deemed it appropriate that he lived in a small unit and that he prepared his own meals said a lot about what he brought to the office.

I think it is also incredibly fitting that he always remembered his origins, and that's why he made it part of his responsibility to always be showing, though his leadership, that he knew and understood those origins and the importance of them. We've heard from many speakers of the times when he would wash the feet of those young people who had been incarcerated in and around Rome. It's that sort of messaging that I think is still incredibly important today for the church. When you visit Rome, like you see when you see parts of Buenos Aires, it's very opulent, and you can be left with an impression that this is all about power and wealth. But Pope Francis would have none of that. He knew and understood that proper spiritual teaching was directed, and should be directed, to everyone, especially the most unfortunate and worst off. That is what he saw, that is what he focused on and that's what he knew was very much central to his calling.

Pope Francis was identified for his calling by someone who, I think, knew and understood the importance of that and also the importance of the church being a world leader; that was John Paul II, someone who, through his own actions in a very different way, showed the important role the Catholic Church could take. I think he was an incredibly astute judge when he was identified Pope Francis as someone who was deserving of higher office. It is hard to know, but even maybe at that time he knew and understood that Pope Francis would in many ways make a great leader of the Catholic faith.

It's an honour to speak on this motion. I conclude as I started: I offer my condolences, my prayers and my thoughts to all Catholics globally, to Pope Francis's family and to everyone that knew him. Most importantly, I offer my condolences to those poor, those underprivileged, those who needed help and support at times of great difficulty and those incarcerated who were touched by Pope Francis. I know he would have left a lasting legacy on them.

See this speech in context