Carmelite nun from Southwell walking from Canterbury to St Peter’s tomb at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome pays tribute to Pope Francis after his death on Easter Monday

A Carmelite nun taking part in a fundraising pilgrimage has paid her own tribute to Pope Francis upon the Pontiff’s death, and said he was like “everyone’s Father”.

Yesterday (Monday) it was announced that His Holiness had died at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke and heart failure.

His body will be laid out for public view from tomorrow (Wednesday) in St Peter’s Basilica, followed by a funeral on Saturday.

Tributes have now been paid to the late pontiff, including from the Bishop of Nottingham locally.

One of those mourning the loss of Pope Francis is Sister Elizabeth Carr, who is currently taking on the Francigena pilgrimage — a 1,200 mile walk from Canterbury to the Holy Door of St Peter’s tomb at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Sister Elizabeth, who attended Southwell’s Minster School, is aiming to finish on on July 16 for the opening of the Holy Door, which is opened by the current Pope during a Holy Year, which occur every 25 years, with the last one taking place in 2000.

The Advertiser caught up with Sister Elizabeth in Pontailler, eastern France, and she said that she had “shed some tears and said some prayers” when she heard of the death of Pope Francis, having received the news via text message from a lady she had stayed with the night before.

“It came as a shock in a way as we were told he was having some convalescing time, and then someone showed me a clip of him on Easter Sunday, and I think we all knew it would be the last time we would see him,” she said, “He probably gave the three holy days over Easter everything he had.

“But he’s now seeing the Lord face to face, and what a way for him to celebrate Easter now with the Lord.

“He was like everybody’s Father, and he feels closer to us now.”

Sister Elizabeth recalled meeting a Muslim man in a cafe on Easter Monday who expressed his condolences, saying that her ‘Papa’ had died, and paid for her coffee and gave her a carton of milk as a gesture of kindness.

“He [the Pope] was like a father to the whole world and had the ability to bring everyone together regardless of their beliefs, and I’m sure he’s smiling at that.

”I hope his message of peace will be heard by all the world leaders.”

Sister Elizabeth added that now her feet have healed her pilgrimage is continuing nicely, “God is good” she said.

You can make a donation to Sister Elizabeth’s cause at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/elizabeth-carr-2

She is now hoping that a new Pope will have been elected, and the Door opened, when she arrives in Rome in July.

“With the summer coming up, let’s hope that he [the new Pope] will have arrived by then, it’s going to be an exciting time!” she said.