The Pope has praised Sir David Amess for years of “devoted public service” in a message read at the funeral service for the late Conservative MP.
Senior political figures gathered at Westminster Cathedral to pay their respects to Sir David, who was 69.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined former prime ministers, the Speaker of the House and the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at the service.
Sir David was fatally stabbed during a constituency surgery in October. In the message delivered by Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Pope Francis called for mourners’ resolve to be strengthened to “combat evil with good” and “build a society of ever greater justice” following the devout Catholic’s death.
“His Holiness recalls with gratitude Sir David’s years of devoted public service guided by his strong Catholic faith and evidenced in his deep concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, his commitment to the defence of God’s gift of life, and his efforts to foster understanding and co-operation with the Holy See in its universal mission,” the Pope’s message said. The Southend West MP was attacked at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea on 15 October.
Credit: bbc.com
