Australian shares have edged slightly lower as investors fled from US equities to the safe haven of gold following President Donald Trump’s comments threatening to sack “loser” central bank boss Jerome Powell.

After falling almost one per cent in early trading, goldminers led a recovery in the S&P/ASX200 to be down 8.5 points, or 0.11 per cent, to 7810.6 by noon on Tuesday.

The broader All Ordinaries fell 13.6 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 8008.3.

Australian investors initially took their lead from risk-off sentiment on Wall Street overnight.

All three US equity indexes lurched more than two per cent lower, while bonds and the US dollar also tumbled, after Mr Trump ramped up pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Powell to lower interest rates.

The US economy was headed for a slowdown “unless Mr Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates NOW,” Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post that heightened fears over the central bank’s autonomy.

Gold prices surged as investors on a “buyer’s strike” of US equities sought a safe haven, said Moomoo Australia market strategist Jessica Amir.

“Investor sentiment is sour, evidenced in burgeoning cash balances and hoarding of gold,” she said. 

“That’s a good thing for those investors as gold continues to surge to highs, charging above $US3400 – taking this year’s gains to 30 per cent – with more room to run.”

Australian-listed goldminers soared, helping the materials sector post a 0.08 per cent gain.

Goldminers Northern Star (2.4 per cent), Evolution (3.8 per cent) and St Barbara (11.5 per cent) were among the best performers.

The rest of the big cap miners were mixed, with BHP and Rio Tinto up 0.2 per cent, while Fortescue Metals slipped 0.5 per cent.

Of the remaining 10 industrial sectors on the ASX, consumer staples (0.09 per cent) and financials (0.49 per cent) also gained while the rest turned lower.

Macquarie Group climbed 1.1 per cent to $181.94 after the financial conglomerate announced it would sell off its North American and European public investments business to Japanese investment bank Nomura.

The $2.8 billion deal will see Macquarie’s asset management arm relinquish its international equities, fixed income, and multi-asset investments as it concentrates its focus on the Australian market.

CBA led the big four banks, climbing 1.3 per cent, while Westpac rose 0.6 per cent and NAB firmed 0.1 per cent. ANZ slipped 0.3 per cent.

Energy and IT stocks were the biggest losers.

Uranium miner Deep Yellow slumped 6.6 per cent after announcing it would delay development of its flagship Tumas project in Namibia due to depressed uranium prices.

“We are at an extraordinary stage in the uranium supply sector,” said CEO John Borshoff.

“We have a situation where the long-term uranium market is essentially broken. 

“This is due to more than a decade of sector inactivity, persistently depressed uranium prices, and utility offtake contracting practices which are yet to support the development of greenfields uranium production.”

The Australian dollar climbed to its highest level against the greenback since December following the US sell-off over the weekend.

It was buying 64.15 US cents, up from 63.41 US cents at 5pm on Thursday.

Asian stock markets fought to hold their footing on Tuesday after a furious flight from US assets undermined Wall Street and the dollar, while concerns about the independence of the Federal Reserve piled fresh pressure on Treasuries.

Relatively limited losses in Asia sparked talk that funds could be reallocating money to equities in the area, though the impact of tariffs on economic growth remained a major drag.

US President Donald Trump’s increasingly vocal attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates saw Wall Street indexes shed around 2.5 per cent on Monday and the dollar hit three-year lows.

“The ‘sell America’ trade was in full flight,” said Tapas Strickland, head of market economics at NAB.

“Whether or not President Trump is legally able and willing to move against the Fed, the jousting underscores the loss of US exceptionalism and the very real policy risk for investors.”

The selling did abate somewhat in Asia, allowing S&P 500 futures to bounce 0.4 per cent and Nasdaq futures 0.5 per cent.

The market faces another test from earnings this week, with Tesla due later in the session, having already shed almost 6.0 per cent on Monday amid reports of production delays.

Also reporting this week are Alphabet and a host of high-profile industrials including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and 3M.

The fallout from Wall Street saw Japan’s Nikkei ease a modest 0.3 per cent, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.2 per cent. Chinese blue chips were holding steady for now.

European shares were less fortunate, with futures for the EUROSTOXX 50, FTSE and DAX all down around 0.7 per cent in choppy trading.

Yields on US 10-year notes stood at 4.40 per cent, having climbed on fears the White House could try and replace Powell with someone more inclined to cut rates, even as inflation was being lifted by Trump’s swingeing tariffs.

There was also the concern that the current Fed might now be more reluctant to ease policy in case that was perceived as giving into political pressure.

While White House talks on various trade deals are underway or about to start, a quick resolution seemed unlikely. Analysts at JPMorgan noted the average trade deal took 18 months to negotiate and 45 months to implement.

“We reiterate our view that if current policies do not change, then the probability of a US recession in 2025 is 90 per cent,” they said in a note.

The loss of confidence in US assets took a heavy toll on the dollar which touched its lowest since March 2022 against a basket of currencies at 97.923 on Monday.

The currency hit a decade-low on the Swiss franc at 0.8038 , while the euro briefly broke above $US1.1500 ($A1.7924), before steadying at $US1.1486 ($A1.7902).

The weakness in the dollar combined with demand for physical safe havens helped gold to another record above $US3,343 ($A5,210) an ounce .

Oil prices have been going the other way as worries about a global slowdown met the prospect of increased supply from OPEC.

There was a slight bounce on Tuesday as Brent rose 58 cents to $US66.82 ($A104.14) a barrel, while US crude added 51 cents to $US63.59 ($A99.11) per barrel.

Politics will be toned down for a day after the Pope’s death as millions of Australians begin to cast their votes with the opening of pre-polling.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have suspended campaign events on Tuesday morning and attended church services to reflect on the life of Pope Francis.

The prime minister attended mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne early on Tuesday morning to mourn the pontiff.

He attended the same church the night before to pay his respects in private after news of the Pope’s death broke.

Mr Dutton is due to attend a commemoration service after starting the day in Orange, in the must-win seat of Calare.

“I don’t think it’s a day for overt politicking at all, I think the day is best spent reflecting,” he told ABC TV on Tuesday.

“Obviously pre-polling opens today and all of that will continue on but I don’t think there’s a place for the sort of body blows of politics today.”

The coalition is running out of time to unveil and sell their major policies in the run up to May 3, with their defence spend announcement and its full suite of budget savings measures still in the bag as Australians start to vote.

It’s sparked warnings about parties not having enough time to sell their messages if they keep policies up their sleeves for too long.

The Liberals are preparing a massive advertising blitz in the final week and a half of the campaign.

Labor has seized on the coalition not balancing its spending with enough cost-saving measures as it launches attacks about “secret cuts” from the opposition.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the government’s key election policies about funding Medicare and delivering tax cuts were put in the field early to inform voters.

“We accept that people aren’t hanging on every word that politicians say on a day-to-day basis and that you do need time to talk about what your plans are,” she told ABC radio.

“Obviously, there’s 11 days to go, so we’ll have further things to say throughout those 11 days, but we also accept that people are taking up the opportunity to vote early and campaigns need to adjust to that.”

University of Tasmania public policy associate professor Kate Crowley agreed, telling AAP “if they’ve got something that they want to have a maximum impact, they can’t reveal it at the last minute the way they used to”.

Mr Albanese called it “extraordinary arrogance” for the opposition leader not to tell Australians where all the flagged cuts will come from until after the election.

Mr Dutton has said he needs the resources of government to determine areas of waste to be targeted as he pledges to reduce the public service by 40,000 and slash immigration numbers.

Both major parties have promised to release the full costing of their policies before the election date.

Pope Francis has been remembered as a leader who was determined to be with the people until the end as millions of Australian Catholics mourn the pontiff’s passing. 

The 88-year-old’s death on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic leader.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Perth archbishop Tim Costelloe reflected on images taken just hours before the Pope’s death, when Francis made a public appearance at St Peter’s Square.

“Even though he was so sick, and so weak, he was determined to be with his people,” Archbishop Costelloe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday. 

“And I think being with his people, being present to his people, was probably the great gift that he brought to the church and to the world.”

Many mourners attended early masses at local cathedrals following the Pope’s passing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is Catholic, said the major party leaders had agreed to dial back election campaigning on Tuesday as a sign of respect.

He attended mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on a rainy Tuesday morning, when he was greeted by the cathedral’s dean, Monsignor Stuart Hall.

The Pope’s death could also prove a turning point in Australia’s relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation’s sole cardinal in December.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a “pope of peace” and a man of simple piety.

“This sadness is our human reaction to the death of a much-loved father,” the Ukrainian-born, Melbourne-based cardinal said.

“I am grateful for the late Holy Father’s frequent appeals for a just peace in Ukraine and for the efforts of the Holy See that he oversaw – known and secret – that in some way helped bring relief to the imprisoned and suffering.”

Cardinal Bychok was on his way to the Middle East on a pilgrimage but will divert to Rome as soon as possible.

He will take part in the funeral rites before joining other cardinal electors to choose the 267th and next Pope.

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher – who was controversially overlooked as cardinal – praised the pontiff’s condemnation of what he described as “the globalisation of indifference” when it came to refugees and the poor and “the throwaway culture” towards the unborn and elderly.

Joining the prime minister in an earlier, private prayer at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday evening, Mary Picard recalled a “really good” and progressive Pope.

“He did a lot of good, making some of the really sort of high ceremonies a bit more … for the people,” she told AAP.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton noted the late Pope lived frugally, simply and was driven by “Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness”.

The leaders debate, expected to be held on Tuesday night, is due to go ahead as planned in Sydney.

Pope Francis was also lauded for inspiring Australia’s 820,000 Catholic school students to live with courage and compassion.

The change in leadership could also offer a chance for Australia to “reset” its relationship with the Vatican, Deakin and Oxford universities’ Catholic Church historian Miles Pattenden said.

“It was an extraordinary snub that Francis made Mykola Bychok, the Ukrainian Australian bishop, cardinal and not the archbishop of Sydney,” Dr Pattenden said.

“There’s no way to read that, except as a rebuke to Sydney. It may be that a new Pope allows for a re-test of that, even if he’s still a liberal.”

National flags on federal government buildings will fly at half-mast on Tuesday as a mark of respect.

Political hopefuls are running out of time to unveil and sell their major policies as Australians begin to cast their votes in the federal election.

The first ballots will be cast on Tuesday as early voting begins ahead of the May 3 poll, with millions expected to skip the lines on election day.

It’s sparked warnings about parties not having enough time to sell their messages if they keep policies up their sleeves for too long.

The coalition still has at least one major announcement to come on its defence spending allocation, while it is yet to specify what public service jobs are on the line as it aims to reduce the commonwealth payroll by 40,000 people. 

Labor has seized on the coalition not balancing its spending with enough cost-saving measures to launch attacks about “secret cuts” as it campaigns heavily on Medicare and other health initiatives.

“When Peter Dutton cuts, Australians will pay,” has been the government’s tagline, which was used again on Monday by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a visit to an urgent care clinic in the marginal NSW south coast seat of Gilmore.

Mr Albanese called it “extraordinary arrogance” for the opposition leader not to tell Australians where all the flagged cuts will come from until after the election.

Mr Dutton has said he needs the resources of government to determine areas of waste to be targeted.

Both major parties have promised to release the full costing of their policies before May 3.

Coalition MPs have defended delaying policy announcements until late in the campaign, saying they will unveil them when Australians are paying the most attention.

But that approach could come back to bite the party if 2022’s early voter turnout of more than 5.5 million people is anything to go by.

Analysts expect many voters going away for the upcoming Anzac Day long weekend and school holidays will take advantage of pre-polling, meaning parties may have to change tack.

“If they’ve got something that they want to have a maximum impact, they can’t reveal it at the last minute the way they used to,” University of Tasmania public policy associate professor Kate Crowley told AAP.

Pre-polling is becoming more popular as voters turn away from major parties, which means Labor and the coalition need to strategise about how election sweeteners are offered during a campaign, she said.

Investors tormented by weeks of tariff turmoil will hope for a quiet return from Easter as mortgage holders eye a rate cut on the horizon.

Stocks in Australia and the US have clawed back ground in the past fortnight after US President Donald Trump hit pause on most elements of his trade war.

But continued uncertainty and the tariff story only half-told means it is too early to say the low in US, global and Australian shares has been passed, AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver says.

He pointed to “renewed fears” the White House might start to threaten the independence of the Federal Reserve.

Amid separate court actions to broaden the president’s power to sack independent regulators, Mr Trump late last week said Fed chair Jerome Powell’s sacking cannot “come fast enough”.

“Any threat to Fed independence would further threaten faith in the US as a safe haven and lead to renewed market stress,” Dr Oliver said.

“(It would lead to) even more upwards pressure on US bond yields and downwards pressure on the (US dollar) as investors would demand a higher risk premium to invest in the US.

“This in turn will increase the risk of US financial turmoil and US recession.”

But for the real estate mogul trying to blow up the global trading system, markets this year could have been celebrating inflation being brought back under control with limited damage to economic growth, Dr Oliver said.

Underlying inflation figures released last week were lower than expected in Canada, the UK and New Zealand.

Eyes will be on Australia’s next set of quarterly numbers on April 30 amid expectations underlying inflation has fallen back inside the Reserve Bank’s target band.

The annual rate leapt out of the two-to-three-per-cent range in early 2022, triggering 12 rate rises in 13 months.

Along with AMP, NAB is tipping trimmed mean inflation has eased to 2.8 per cent.

That will help set the scene for a rate cut at the Reserve Bank’s May 20 meeting.

“We think the tariff shock is ultimately disinflationary for Australia,” NAB senior markets economist Taylor Nugent said.

“Unlike some central banks, we don’t think the RBA is constrained by inflation and so can be proactive in responding to global headwinds.”

Noting “exceptionally elevated uncertainty” globally, NAB is preparing for a double-sized cut of 50 basis points.

That would slice $204 off the monthly repayments for the average Australian mortgage ($642,000 over 30 years).

A week bookended by Easter and Anzac Day leaves little space for local economic indicators, with April business conditions the only of note.

Australian markets – up about nine per cent since the darkest day of the trade war on April 7 – were expected to claw back further ground.

The ASX200 rose 172.6 points or 2.26 per cent last week to 7819.1 while the broader All Ordinaries lifted 2.14 per cent to 8021.9.

The SPI/ASX 200 futures over Easter weekend were pointing to a 0.6 per cent rise in early trade on Tuesday.

But that may change with US markets tipped to retreat 0.8 per cent on open on Easter Monday (Tuesday AEST).

Investors will also watch for Tesla results out Wednesday Australian time ahead of Boeing (Thursday) and tech giants Alphabet and Microsoft (Friday).

Australians have recalled Pope Francis’s profound love for the poor, diverse people and all of humanity as millions mourn the pontiff’s passing.

His death, on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia, was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic figurehead.

It may also prove a turning point in Australia’s relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation’s sole cardinal last December.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a “pope of peace” and a man of simple piety.

“This sadness is our human reaction to the death of a much-loved father,” the Ukrainian-born Melbourne cardinal said.

“I am grateful for the late Holy Father’s frequent appeals for a just peace in Ukraine and for the efforts of the Holy See that he oversaw – known and secret – that in some way helped bring relief to the imprisoned and suffering.”

Cardinal Bychok was on his way to the Middle East on a pilgrimage but will divert to Rome as soon as practicable.

He will take part in the funeral rites before joining other cardinal electors to choose the 367th and next Pope.

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher – who was controversially overlooked as cardinal – praised the pontiff’s condemnation of what he described as ‘the globalisation of indifference’ when it came to refugees and the poor and ‘the throwaway culture’ towards the unborn and elderly.

“Pope Francis passionately decried views and actions contrary to human dignity and flourishing,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a devout Catholic, recalled that the first Pope from the southern hemisphere had compassion that embraced all of humanity.

Joining the prime minister in private prayer at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday evening, Mary Picard recalled a “really good” and progressive Pope.

“He did a lot of good, making some of the really sort of high ceremonies a bit more … for the people,” she told AAP.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton noted the late Pope lived frugally, simply and was driven by “Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness”.

Pope Francis was also lauded for inspiring Australia’s 820,000 Catholic school students to live with courage and compassion.

“His legacy will continue to guide our work in Catholic schools and shape the hearts and minds of students for generations to come,” National Catholic Education Commission executive director Jacinta Collins said.

While not without controversy, his papacy was marked by an emphasis on the mercy and compassion of God, and on the Church’s vocation to be a sign and bearer of that merciful love in an increasingly troubled world, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said.

The change in leadership could also offer a chance for Australia to “reset” its relationship with the Vatican, Deakin and Oxford universities’ Catholic Church historian Miles Pattenden said.

“It was an extraordinary snub that Francis made Mykola Bychok, the Ukrainian Australian Bishop, cardinal and not the Archbishop of Sydney (Fisher),” Dr Pattenden told AAP.

“There’s no way to read that, except as a rebuke to Sydney. It may be that a new Pope allows for a re-test of that, even if he’s still a liberal.”

Parishes around the country are expected to hold special memorial masses for the late Pope in coming days.

National flags on federal government buildings will fly at half-mast on Tuesday as a mark of respect.

Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, whose annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos became a symbol of globalisation, has resigned as chair of its trustees.

The Geneva-based WEF made the announcement on Monday after revealing earlier this month that the 87-year-old Schwab, who for decades has been the face of the Davos get-together, would be stepping down, without giving a firm timeline.

“Following my recent announcement, and as I enter my 88th year, I have decided to step down from the position of chair and as a member of the Board of Trustees, with immediate effect,” Schwab said in a statement released by the WEF.

The forum did not say why he was quitting.

The WEF board said in the statement it had accepted Schwab’s resignation at an extraordinary meeting on April 20, with Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe serving as interim chairman while the search for a new chair began.

The German-born Schwab established the WEF in 1971 with the aim of creating a forum for policymakers and top corporate executives to tackle major global issues.

The village of Davos gradually became a fixture on the international calendar in January when political leaders, CEOs and celebrities got together in discreet, neutral Switzerland to discuss the agenda for the coming year.

Widely regarded as a cheerleader for globalisation, the WEF’s Davos gathering has in recent years drawn criticism from opponents on both left and right as an elitist talking shop detached from lives of ordinary people.

Headquartered above Lake Geneva at the other end of Switzerland from Davos, the WEF has also had to cope with negative reports about its internal culture.

The Wall Street Journal last year said the WEF’s board was working with a law firm to investigate its workplace culture, after the newspaper reported allegations of harassment and discrimination at the forum. The WEF denied the allegations.

Shaken by the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, the WEF has also been buffeted by geopolitical tensions since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and more protectionist US trade policies. Some analysts see it as an institution in decline.

Schwab anticipated globalisation would come under fire long before Donald Trump first won the US presidency and Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, events which analysts attributed to discontent with the prevailing economic order.

“A mounting backlash against (globalisation’s) effects, especially in the industrial democracies, is threatening a very disruptive impact on economic activity and social stability in many countries,” Schwab and his colleague Claude Smadja jointly wrote in an opinion piece in 1996.

“The mood in these democracies is one of helplessness and anxiety, which helps explain the rise of a new brand of populist politicians.” 

More than five million Australian Catholics are in mourning following the death of Pope Francis, who is being remembered for his closeness to the nation.

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, after recently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia. 

There are 5.1 million people in Australia who identify as Catholic, according to the 2021 Census, equating to about 20 per cent of the total population.

Australia’s only Cardinal Mykola Bychok said Francis was a Pope for the marginalised and those on the periphery. 

“He was a man of simple piety who strove to bring the church closer to people,” the cardinal said in a statement. 

“His gave freely of his gifts and had a unique personal approach to all he met.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere Francis was close to the people of Australia. 

“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his condolences to Catholic Australians on the death of the 266th pontiff.

“He lived frugally and simply,” Mr Dutton said.

“Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness.” 

Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the Pope’s visit to our region in September 2024 exemplified his devotion to the global church.

“As millions of Australian Catholics mourn a spiritual guide, father and friend, we can all reflect on His Holiness’ message of peace; of respect for the rights and dignity of every member of our human family; and care for the Earth, our common home,” Ms Mostyn said.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ascended to become the Supreme Pontiff in 2013, making him the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope from the southern hemisphere since early Christianity.

He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario, an accountant and Regina, a stay-at-home wife. 

Both were Italian immigrants, with Francis graduating as a chemical technician before choosing the path of the priesthood.

Throughout his 12-year tenure, Pope Francis was lauded for his simplicity, humility, warmth and his concern for the poor and those pushed to the edges.

His papacy centred on themes of social justice, including calling attention to people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants, and the need to care for creation, Australian Catholic University lecturer Sandie Cornish said.

“He’s been very much a person who values face-to-face, embodied encounter, not talking about these issues in the abstract, but remembering the faces of the people who experience these issues,” she told AAP.

Pope Francis has revitalised Catholic teaching and presided over a “paradigm shift” in his focus on the environment.

In addition to these progressive shifts, the Pope has made structural changes to the Vatican’s leadership by appointing women to key positions and changing rules to allow lay people to head departments.

While Pope Francis wasn’t considered to have done a perfect job in contending with sexually abusive priests’ crimes, Dr Cornish believes he will be remembered as someone who tried to address the issue.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the news did not come as a surprise given the Pope’s age and declining health but would be received with great sadness.

“The 12 years of the papacy of Pope Francis were not without controversy,” Archbishop Costelloe said. 

“His constant call that the Church should be open to everybody caused some to fear that he was putting at risk the integrity of the Church’s faith and moral teaching.”

Cardinal Bychok, who is on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, will be the sole attendee from Australia at the conclave.

More than five million Australian Catholics are in mourning following the death of Pope Francis, who is being remembered for his closeness to the nation.

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, after recently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia. 

There are 5.1 million people in Australia who identify as Catholic, according to the 2021 Census, equating to about 20 per cent of the total population.

Australia’s only Cardinal Mykola Bychok said Francis was a Pope for the marginalised and those on the periphery. 

“He was a man of simple piety who strove to bring the church closer to people,” the cardinal said in a statement. 

“His gave freely of his gifts and had a unique personal approach to all he met.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere Francis was close to the people of Australia. 

“For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his condolences to Catholic Australians on the death of the 266th pontiff.

“He lived frugally and simply,” Mr Dutton said.

“Above all else, he was driven by Christ’s values of mercy and forgiveness.” 

Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the Pope’s visit to our region in September 2024 exemplified his devotion to the global church.

“As millions of Australian Catholics mourn a spiritual guide, father and friend, we can all reflect on His Holiness’ message of peace; of respect for the rights and dignity of every member of our human family; and care for the Earth, our common home,” Ms Mostyn said.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio ascended to become the Supreme Pontiff in 2013, making him the first Pope from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope from the southern hemisphere since early Christianity.

He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario, an accountant and Regina, a stay-at-home wife. 

Both were Italian immigrants, with Francis graduating as a chemical technician before choosing the path of the priesthood.

Throughout his 12-year tenure, Pope Francis was lauded for his simplicity, humility, warmth and his concern for the poor and those pushed to the edges.

His papacy centred on themes of social justice, including calling attention to people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants, and the need to care for creation, Australian Catholic University lecturer Sandie Cornish said.

“He’s been very much a person who values face-to-face, embodied encounter, not talking about these issues in the abstract, but remembering the faces of the people who experience these issues,” she told AAP.

Pope Francis has revitalised Catholic teaching and presided over a “paradigm shift” in his focus on the environment.

In addition to these progressive shifts, the Pope has made structural changes to the Vatican’s leadership by appointing women to key positions and changing rules to allow lay people to head departments.

While Pope Francis wasn’t considered to have done a perfect job in contending with sexually abusive priests’ crimes, Dr Cornish believes he will be remembered as someone who tried to address the issue.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe said the news did not come as a surprise given the Pope’s age and declining health but would be received with great sadness.

“The 12 years of the papacy of Pope Francis were not without controversy,” Archbishop Costelloe said. 

“His constant call that the Church should be open to everybody caused some to fear that he was putting at risk the integrity of the Church’s faith and moral teaching.”

Cardinal Bychok, who is on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, will be the sole attendee from Australia at the conclave.