Debate contribution: Pope Francis
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew McMurray on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew McMurray
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 28 April 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Assembly Business
- Heading
- Pope Francis
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4913258
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Mr Speaker, thank you for affording us the time to mark the occasion. On hearing the news and reading the associated reflections on the death of Pope Francis, I have been thinking about what I would like to have spoken to him about, had I had the chance. He was an ecumenical pope, meeting those from different denominations, including Eastern Orthodox leaders and Muslim leaders. He even met my mother and father's Presbyterian minister. I would like to have talked to him about building bridges, not walls. On his name, "Francis", after Francis of Assisi — he was a man who loved Creation — he remarked, "These days, we do not have a good relationship with Creation, do we?". I would like to have talked to him about looking after his creation. On his approach to the LGBTQ+ community — "If a gay person seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?" — I would like to reflect his approach in being accepting. He spoke about a healing Church: "Throw a rock in the air, and you will hit someone hurting". I would like to talk more about healing the wounds in our society. He spoke on the impact of consumerism on our environment and climate: "We create vast quantities of wants; yet, there are still many in need. We waste vast amounts of food; yet, people still go hungry". I would like to have spoken to him about that. He spoke of the isms of ideologies and how they can become outdated and be a barrier to peace and progress. I would like to have spoken to him about the limitations of ideological isms. He was a voice for strangers in foreign lands. He epitomised what my grandmother often quotes to me: look after strangers, for, amongst them, there may be angels. I should maybe have included that in the ecumenical section, as my granny is the most Presbyterian person whom I know. I would like to have spoken to him about the stranger in foreign lands. I will not get the chance to speak to Pope Francis, but, if his theological legacy is one of encouraging us to speak to one another with more grace, that is something that I can subscribe to.
378 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.96).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.07 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.04 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.96 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.04 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.89 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.11 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:25 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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