Catholic leaders mourn Pope Francis as Dutch churches open for public tributes

Dutch Catholic leaders gathered Monday in the Sint-Aloysiuskerk in Utrecht for a press conference to mourn the death of Pope Francis, offering prayers, tributes, and plans for national commemoration. Churches throughout the Netherlands will open their doors in the coming days for those who wish to pray or sign condolence books in memory of the late pope, who died on Monday at the age of 88.

Bishop Hans van den Hende of Rotterdam, chairman of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference, opened the press moment in Utrecht with a prayer, NOS reports. He stressed the importance Pope Francis placed on prayer throughout his life and papacy.

“As we pray, we do not pray like parrots,” said Van den Hende, echoing Francis’s own words. “We pray with heart and soul, with our whole person.” He reminded those present that when Pope Francis appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Square after his election, he first bowed his head and asked the people to pray for him. “That request remained constant: to pray for the pope, as the pope prayed for us,” Van den Hende said, calling it a sign of the “reciprocity” at the core of the pope’s faith.

Van den Hende described the 12 years of Pope Francis’s papacy as having “flown by,” bookended by his first prayer on the balcony and his final Easter blessing from the same spot just a day before his death. “A balcony scene at the beginning and at the end,” the bishop noted. “I still hear the pope saying: avanti—forward.” He emphasized the significance of who will be chosen as the next pope but declined to express any preference, saying that bishops have often been surprised by past papal selections, including that of Francis in 2013.

Effective immediately, condolence registers will be placed in Catholic churches across the country, where people can write messages and pray for the deceased pope and the Church. Van den Hende called this a vital part of the mourning process. “People will be given the opportunity to pray,” he said.

Cardinal Wim Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, praised Pope Francis for his compassion toward marginalized people. “He consistently showed that in his writings and through visits to marginalized groups,” Eijk said. “He also emphasized the sanctity of life from beginning to end.”

Eijk, who met with Pope Francis alongside other Dutch bishops in 2013 and again in 2022, described him as “a pope of encouragement.” During those visits, the pope put aside his prepared remarks to speak directly and personally. “On both occasions, he issued a powerful call to persevere and not lose courage. Not to look back in nostalgia, but to focus on the future,” Eijk said. “That was the message he gave to us and to all Catholics in the Netherlands.”

Van den Hende echoed these sentiments, recalling the pope’s repeated focus on the poor and on protecting the world. “The joy of the Gospel, which the pope spoke of many times, also led him to the theme of the Holy Year 2025: pilgrims of hope,” he said. “In the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis traveled extensively as a pilgrim of hope to meet many people with the joy of the Gospel and to engage in dialogue.”

The Catholic community in Amsterdam expressed its shock at the “still somewhat sudden death” of Pope Francis. “In Pope Francis, we lose a special shepherd of the Church,” said Eric Fennis, dean and rector of Amsterdam. “His entire pontificate was marked by attention to the poor and the vulnerable.”

According to Fennis, the pope had a strong connection with the Dutch capital. During a private audience in May 2024 with a small delegation from Amsterdam, the pope gave them a clear message: “Amsterdam is important. Take good care of it.” Fennis added that the pope had taken joy in “the growing interest among young people in the Church in the capital.”

A condolence book for Pope Francis is now available for signing in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Amsterdam, which is open daily from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. More information about an upcoming memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Pope Francis’s impact extended far beyond the Catholic Church. The Blue Mosque in Amsterdam praised the pope for his “continuous commitment to peace, condemnation of war and arms trade, and willingness to engage in interfaith dialogue.” A spokesperson added, “We hope that these qualities will also characterize his successor.”