HR945 - In memory of Pope Francis.

      H.R. No. 945       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, People the world over are mourning the loss of Pope   Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88,   shortly after offering his Easter Sunday blessing to the faithful   gathered in the Vatican's Saint Peter's Square; and          WHEREAS, Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires,   Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Pope Francis was the son of Mario   and Regina Bergoglio, and he was deeply influenced by his   grandmother, Rosa Bergoglio, who had been active in the Catholic   Action movement in Italy before the family emigrated to Argentina;   at age 12, he entered a school run by Salesian priests, who   instilled in him a sense of duty to the poor, and he accepted his   calling at the age of 16; he was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969;   and          WHEREAS, Pope Francis was appointed to lead the Jesuit order   in Argentina in 1973; during the "Dirty War" that took place during   the rule of the country's repressive military junta, he quietly   worked to save the lives of many people; he went on to serve in   Germany and then in the Argentine city of Córdoba; in 1992, he was   named auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires diocese, and six years   later, he became archbishop; during his time in that role, he helped   relieve the suffering caused by Argentina's economic crisis,   organizing food kitchens, tripling the number of priests assigned   to the slums, and building schools and drug rehabilitation centers;   and          WHEREAS, Named a cardinal in 2001, he became a leading voice   in the church; by the time Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013,   Pope Francis was preparing for retirement; instead, he was elected   pope, becoming the first Jesuit and the first member of the church   from Latin America to serve as pontiff; he was also the first to   choose the name Francis, and like St. Francis of Assisi, he   embraced a humble life of service to the most vulnerable;   demonstrating good humor and an avuncular charm that belied his   steely determination, he became a global voice for justice and   compassion; he took more than 40 trips abroad, many to places long   overlooked, in order to meet with his flock and build interfaith   bridges; at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he offered hope and   consolation via regular video livestreams; he involved Catholics   worldwide in a process of renewal, engaging the laity, welcoming a   variety of opinions, and choosing many cardinals from Latin   America, Asia, and Africa; even as he grew frail and battled ill   health, he continued to travel widely, especially striving to bring   peace to war-torn regions; and          WHEREAS, Now, with the death of this beloved pope, Cardinal   Kevin Farrell of the United States has become acting head of the   Vatican until a new pontiff is elected; born in Ireland, Cardinal   Farrell is a naturalized U.S. citizen and spent many years   ministering in the U.S., particularly as the Bishop of Dallas; he   now holds the position of camerlengo, temporarily overseeing the   day-to-day administration of the Vatican and making arrangements   for the upcoming conclave in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next   pope; and          WHEREAS, Another adopted Texan, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who   was previously the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of   Galveston-Houston and was recently succeeded by Archbishop Joe S.   Vásquez, will vote in the upcoming conclave for the election of the   new pontiff; and          WHEREAS, Pope Francis was a transformative figure, and he   will remain a tremendous source of inspiration, not only to his   fellow Catholics, but to countless people who have been heartened   by his message of enduring mercy and love; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Pope Francis and   extend deepest condolences to all who mourn his passing.     Anchía   Craddick   Thompson   Moody   Phelan     Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw   Alders Guillen Morgan   Allen Harless Muñoz   Anchía Harris Noble   Ashby Harris Davila Olcott   Barry Harrison Oliverson   Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz   Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr   Bernal Hernandez Patterson   Bhojani Hickland Paul   Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso   Bowers Holt Perez of Harris   Bryant Hopper Phelan   Buckley Howard Pierson   Bucy Hull Plesa   Bumgarner Hunter Raymond   Button Isaac Reynolds   Cain Johnson Richardson   Campos Jones of Dallas Rodríguez Ramos   Canales Jones of Harris Romero   Capriglione Kerwin Rose   Cole King Rosenthal   Collier Kitzman Schatzline   Cook LaHood Schofield   Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft   Craddick Lambert Shaheen   Cunningham Landgraf Shofner   Curry Leach Simmons   Darby Leo Wilson Slawson   A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee   Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller   Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson   DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico   Dorazio Louderback Tepper   Dutton Lowe Thompson   Dyson Lozano Tinderholt   Fairly Lujan Toth   Flores Luther Troxclair   Frank Manuel Turner   Gámez Martinez VanDeaver   Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut   Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos   Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell   Gates Metcalf Vo   Gerdes Meyer Walle   Geren Meza Ward Johnson   Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton   González of Dallas Moody Wilson   González of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu   Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 945 was unanimously adopted by a rising   vote of the House on April 24, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House