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