Latest news with #Essa
The Age
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Brisbane's best places to eat and drink
Happy Boy A modern institution a short walk from James Street Brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan channelled their childhood love of the humble suburban Chinese restaurant to create this rambunctious, keenly priced eatery, which packs out with diners seven nights a week. But what looks simple is, in fact, sophisticated: the menu draws its inspiration from all corners of China, and is matched by a brilliant wine list that presents some of Australia's best small growers. The restaurant's neighbouring sister venues – Snack Man and Petite – are also essential. All are just a short stroll from hip James Street. Under fairy-lit trees, East Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: 0413 246 890. See Agnes A wood-fired star in a heritage-listed warehouse Brisbane's best restaurant? Take a straw poll of local diners and most will tell you it's Agnes. Wood-fired dining is everywhere now but rarely this considered or precise, chef-owner Ben Williamson and head chef Ryan Carlson tapping the best local, seasonal produce and transforming it over a dramatic open hearth. The heritage-listed setting in a late 19th-century warehouse accounts for the rest of the charm. If you dine at just one Brisbane restaurant, make it Agnes. 22 Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3067 9087. See Essa A James Street local's pick A hidden, low-key antidote to the surrounding glamour of James Street, Essa is where those in the know go for their midweek date nights. Chef Phil Marchant is a master at getting out of the way of his seasonal produce – you might eat wood-fired bugs with bay leaf butter and sea herbs, or barbecue spatchcock chicken with mortadella and beluga lentils. Most will chase a table in the moodily detailed dining room, but at the counter opposite the wood fire, watching the chefs in action, is the regulars' tip. Match it with a drink either before or after at neighbouring Nixon Room. 181 Robertson Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3177 1011. See Greca Generous, fast-paced Greek food on the river Brisbane's busiest restaurant? Greca is in with a decent shout. It doesn't matter when you visit, always book ahead. Homey, fast-paced Greek food – think luscious saganaki, oven-baked lamb shoulder and whole barbecue trout – is given a contemporary touch-up in this lively taverna-style eatery at Howard Smith Wharves. Where to sit? On the deck overlooking the river is best, with prime views of the city's financial district. The Barthelmes Group's neighbouring sister venue, Yoko, is excellent also. Howard Smith Wharf Precinct, 3/5 Boundary Street, Brisbane. Phone: (07) 3839 1203. See Stanley Elevated Cantonese from a top chef The king of Brisbane's Cantonese restaurants, Stanley occupies the heritage-listed former Water Police headquarters at buzzy Howard Smith Wharves. Star chef Louis Tikaram taps his local roots to present exceptional seasonal produce cooked with vibrant Cantonese flavours. You might order soy-poached chicken with Cantonese five spice roast duck, or wok-tossed typhoon shelter mud crab. Hit the restaurant early in the evening to catch the best of the riverside sunset, before heading upstairs for knockoffs at Stans, its vinyl-spinning, cocktail-slinging sister bar. 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City. Phone: (07) 3558 9418. See Coffee Anthology The yardstick for Brisbane specialty coffee Rated as the eighth-best coffee shop in the world, Coffee Anthology's Adam Wang has built his reputation on a laser-focused eye for detail when presenting the best roasters from around the country. Like any coffee spot worth its weight in beans, the brew is available as espresso, filter or batch. Anthology shares its smart city digs behind a refurbished heritage facade with two sister venues: grab a flaky croissant from The Whisk and takeaway your coffee to nearby City Botanic Gardens, or settle in at Fika for one of the best brunches in the CBD. 155 Charlotte Street, Brisbane City. See Baja A lively frontrunner for the city's best Mexican Australia's evolution of Mexican cuisine into something more authentic took a moment to reach Brisbane, but owner-operator Daniel Quinn took the initiative with this freewheeling, brightly detailed restaurant. The food is all braised brisket and carnitas tacos, reef fish aguachile, and charred and pickled sweet corn, the drinks anchored by a list of tequila and mezcal mostly sourced from smaller, independent agave farms in Mexico. The perfect starting point for a night out in party precinct Fortitude Valley. 211 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3625 0069. See Exhibition Essential omakase in a subterranean CBD space Tim Scott moved on from the acclaimed Joy (also fabulous, if you can nab a booking) to open this precise, Japanese influenced restaurant in the heart of the CBD. Head down the stairs into a moody, subterranean bolthole as Scott channels his vivid creativity into an experience designed to showcase the best local produce (the restaurant's co-owner is Michael Nguyen of Thai Hoa Grocer – one of the best suppliers of fresh produce in the city). A must-do, particularly when combined with a cocktail from natty Dr Gimlette upstairs. Milquetoast Brilliant wines and British food in a rumpus room-like space Find the moody laneway opposite the newly opened InterContinental Hotel on Elizabeth Street and you've found Milquetoast, which occupies an old garage behind a roller door. Billed as a wine bar first, Milquetoast co-owner James Horsfall has compiled a 70(ish)-bottle list that focuses on small producers, while venue manager Aidan Perkins manages a cocktail list that focuses on higher end spirits. For food, chef Jack Burgess cooks a surprisingly innovative menu that drills down on a revitalised interest in British food. Treat this as a two-hander with rock bar Alice, across the laneway. Laneway/199 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. Phone: 0420 740 514. See RDA Peerless French technique meets Australian produce Chef-patron Dan Arnold (RDA is short for Restaurant Dan Arnold) has taken years of training in Gallic kitchens and applied them to local produce presented over either a three-course, five-course or 'carte blanche' (chef's selection) menu. It's often breathtaking stuff that will reward seasoned diners, but is just as appealing to those on a date night. Head to Arnold's La Cache a Vin in Spring Hill if you're chasing something more provincial in style. 10/959 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3189 2735. See Rothwell's Trans-Atlantic dining in sumptuous digs Inspired by restaurants such as The Wolseley in London, and Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles, Rothwell's is a favourite among the power lunchers from the nearby financial district, but at night dims the lights to welcome occasion diners drawn by chef Ben Russell's (formerly Aria Brisbane) European-inspired menu. The heritage space, with its sumptuous booths and reams of marble, is the perfect place to celebrate over generous pastas and meat dishes, while knocking back a few martinis (served with a sidecar on ice). Co-owner Dan Clark also operates 1889 Enoteca in Woolloongabba if you're after Roman comfort food accompanied by an award-winning wine list. Florence A picture-perfect excuse to explore Brisbane's bucolic suburbs Florence occupies an old weatherboard shopfront in bucolic Camp Hill, about 10 minutes from the city. Generous breakfasts and brunches in the cafe's light-filled dining room are the go here, but it's worth visiting just for a coffee before hitting up nearby Camp Hill Antique Centre for something to take home with you. 54 Martha Street, Camp Hill. Phone: 0436 469 611. See Naldham House Brasserie A slick linchpin in a heritage dining precinct From Dap & Co (Andrew Baturo, Denis Sheahan and Splendour in the Grass creator Paul Piticco) comes this heritage-listed diner, that has hatted chef Doug Kyte (formerly Grill Americano in Melbourne) in the kitchen. Expect a menu of elevated Euro-inspired comfort food in a dining room decked out in a kaleidoscope of patterns from crack designer Anna Spiro. The linchpin in a three-level mini dining precinct, and upstairs you'll find cocktail bar Club Felix and The Fifty Six, a brilliant new Cantonese restaurant.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane's best places to eat and drink
Happy Boy A modern institution a short walk from James Street Brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan channelled their childhood love of the humble suburban Chinese restaurant to create this rambunctious, keenly priced eatery, which packs out with diners seven nights a week. But what looks simple is, in fact, sophisticated: the menu draws its inspiration from all corners of China, and is matched by a brilliant wine list that presents some of Australia's best small growers. The restaurant's neighbouring sister venues – Snack Man and Petite – are also essential. All are just a short stroll from hip James Street. Under fairy-lit trees, East Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: 0413 246 890. See Agnes A wood-fired star in a heritage-listed warehouse Brisbane's best restaurant? Take a straw poll of local diners and most will tell you it's Agnes. Wood-fired dining is everywhere now but rarely this considered or precise, chef-owner Ben Williamson and head chef Ryan Carlson tapping the best local, seasonal produce and transforming it over a dramatic open hearth. The heritage-listed setting in a late 19th-century warehouse accounts for the rest of the charm. If you dine at just one Brisbane restaurant, make it Agnes. 22 Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3067 9087. See Essa A James Street local's pick A hidden, low-key antidote to the surrounding glamour of James Street, Essa is where those in the know go for their midweek date nights. Chef Phil Marchant is a master at getting out of the way of his seasonal produce – you might eat wood-fired bugs with bay leaf butter and sea herbs, or barbecue spatchcock chicken with mortadella and beluga lentils. Most will chase a table in the moodily detailed dining room, but at the counter opposite the wood fire, watching the chefs in action, is the regulars' tip. Match it with a drink either before or after at neighbouring Nixon Room. 181 Robertson Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3177 1011. See Greca Generous, fast-paced Greek food on the river Brisbane's busiest restaurant? Greca is in with a decent shout. It doesn't matter when you visit, always book ahead. Homey, fast-paced Greek food – think luscious saganaki, oven-baked lamb shoulder and whole barbecue trout – is given a contemporary touch-up in this lively taverna-style eatery at Howard Smith Wharves. Where to sit? On the deck overlooking the river is best, with prime views of the city's financial district. The Barthelmes Group's neighbouring sister venue, Yoko, is excellent also. Howard Smith Wharf Precinct, 3/5 Boundary Street, Brisbane. Phone: (07) 3839 1203. See Stanley Elevated Cantonese from a top chef The king of Brisbane's Cantonese restaurants, Stanley occupies the heritage-listed former Water Police headquarters at buzzy Howard Smith Wharves. Star chef Louis Tikaram taps his local roots to present exceptional seasonal produce cooked with vibrant Cantonese flavours. You might order soy-poached chicken with Cantonese five spice roast duck, or wok-tossed typhoon shelter mud crab. Hit the restaurant early in the evening to catch the best of the riverside sunset, before heading upstairs for knockoffs at Stans, its vinyl-spinning, cocktail-slinging sister bar. 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City. Phone: (07) 3558 9418. See Coffee Anthology The yardstick for Brisbane specialty coffee Rated as the eighth-best coffee shop in the world, Coffee Anthology's Adam Wang has built his reputation on a laser-focused eye for detail when presenting the best roasters from around the country. Like any coffee spot worth its weight in beans, the brew is available as espresso, filter or batch. Anthology shares its smart city digs behind a refurbished heritage facade with two sister venues: grab a flaky croissant from The Whisk and takeaway your coffee to nearby City Botanic Gardens, or settle in at Fika for one of the best brunches in the CBD. 155 Charlotte Street, Brisbane City. See Baja A lively frontrunner for the city's best Mexican Australia's evolution of Mexican cuisine into something more authentic took a moment to reach Brisbane, but owner-operator Daniel Quinn took the initiative with this freewheeling, brightly detailed restaurant. The food is all braised brisket and carnitas tacos, reef fish aguachile, and charred and pickled sweet corn, the drinks anchored by a list of tequila and mezcal mostly sourced from smaller, independent agave farms in Mexico. The perfect starting point for a night out in party precinct Fortitude Valley. 211 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3625 0069. See Exhibition Essential omakase in a subterranean CBD space Tim Scott moved on from the acclaimed Joy (also fabulous, if you can nab a booking) to open this precise, Japanese influenced restaurant in the heart of the CBD. Head down the stairs into a moody, subterranean bolthole as Scott channels his vivid creativity into an experience designed to showcase the best local produce (the restaurant's co-owner is Michael Nguyen of Thai Hoa Grocer – one of the best suppliers of fresh produce in the city). A must-do, particularly when combined with a cocktail from natty Dr Gimlette upstairs. Milquetoast Brilliant wines and British food in a rumpus room-like space Find the moody laneway opposite the newly opened InterContinental Hotel on Elizabeth Street and you've found Milquetoast, which occupies an old garage behind a roller door. Billed as a wine bar first, Milquetoast co-owner James Horsfall has compiled a 70(ish)-bottle list that focuses on small producers, while venue manager Aidan Perkins manages a cocktail list that focuses on higher end spirits. For food, chef Jack Burgess cooks a surprisingly innovative menu that drills down on a revitalised interest in British food. Treat this as a two-hander with rock bar Alice, across the laneway. Laneway/199 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. Phone: 0420 740 514. See RDA Peerless French technique meets Australian produce Chef-patron Dan Arnold (RDA is short for Restaurant Dan Arnold) has taken years of training in Gallic kitchens and applied them to local produce presented over either a three-course, five-course or 'carte blanche' (chef's selection) menu. It's often breathtaking stuff that will reward seasoned diners, but is just as appealing to those on a date night. Head to Arnold's La Cache a Vin in Spring Hill if you're chasing something more provincial in style. 10/959 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. Phone: (07) 3189 2735. See Rothwell's Trans-Atlantic dining in sumptuous digs Inspired by restaurants such as The Wolseley in London, and Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles, Rothwell's is a favourite among the power lunchers from the nearby financial district, but at night dims the lights to welcome occasion diners drawn by chef Ben Russell's (formerly Aria Brisbane) European-inspired menu. The heritage space, with its sumptuous booths and reams of marble, is the perfect place to celebrate over generous pastas and meat dishes, while knocking back a few martinis (served with a sidecar on ice). Co-owner Dan Clark also operates 1889 Enoteca in Woolloongabba if you're chasing Roman comfort food accompanied by an award-winning wine list. Florence A picture-perfect excuse to explore Brisbane's bucolic suburbs Florence occupies an old weatherboard shopfront in bucolic Camp Hill, about 10 minutes from the city. Generous breakfasts and brunches in the cafe's light-filled dining room are the go here, but it's worth visiting just for a coffee before hitting up nearby Camp Hill Antique Centre for something to take home with you. 54 Martha Street, Camp Hill. Phone: 0436 469 611. See Naldham House Brasserie A slick linchpin in a heritage dining precinct From Dap & Co (Andrew Baturo, Denis Sheahan and Splendour in the Grass creator Paul Piticco) comes this heritage-listed diner, that has hatted chef Doug Kyte (formerly Grill Americano in Melbourne) in the kitchen. Expect a menu of elevated Euro-inspired comfort food in a dining room decked out in a kaleidoscope of patterns from crack designer Anna Spiro. The linchpin in a three-level mini dining precinct, and upstairs you'll find cocktail bar Club Felix and The Fifty Six, a brilliant new Cantonese restaurant.
Libya Review
30-06-2025
- Business
- Libya Review
Libya's Central Bank Governor Calls for Ban on Non-Banking Imports
The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Essa, called on the Economy and Trade Minister, Mohamed Al-Hwaij, to reinstate a suspended regulation banning imports and exports conducted outside official banking channels. Essa cautioned that the suspension of this rule could have serious financial and security repercussions for the country. The policy, known as Decision No. 42 of 2025, was introduced by the Economy Ministry in January and took effect on April 1. It required all international trade transactions to be processed through accredited banks. However, in early April, the ministry decided to pause the law, a move that the Central Bank says undermines Libya's efforts to restore financial order. In his letter, Essa expressed 'regret and surprise' at the ministry's decision to halt the ban. He warned that the reversal has fueled the growth of a parallel foreign exchange market, encouraged smuggling, and opened avenues for illicit financial activities. These practices not only place pressure on the Libyan dinar's exchange rate but also risk Libya's standing with international correspondent banks that demand compliance with global standards. Essa also flagged potential economic risks from importing goods outside official channels, including the depletion of foreign reserves and the invasion of substandard or unregulated products into the market. Such developments endanger consumer safety and undermine quality standards. Calling for the swift restoration of the banking-only regulation, Essa urged the Economy Ministry to direct the Customs Authority to enforce the ban without delay. He emphasized that this step is vital for achieving financial stability, ensuring legal compliance, and protecting Libya's reintegration into the global financial system. This appeal comes at a critical moment as Libya continues efforts to rebuild its economy following years of political upheaval and fractured governance. Financial authorities have consistently warned that informal trade undermines fiscal discipline, drains reserves, and weakens state control over strategic sectors.
The Age
28-05-2025
- Climate
- The Age
New-wave regional restaurants elevating South East Queensland's dining scene
Eating outRegional guides A 20-seat vine-covered cottage, a bistro with stunning views and a restaurant in a rainforest are giving us reasons to go regional. , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. It's another of those miserable days South East Queensland has been suffering through of late. Thick sheets of rain, one after another, slow the drive from Brisbane to Nambour, then up, up and further up the range to Mapleton in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It means it's late when I step into Mapleton Public House (2 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton) for Thursday lunch. Yet, the place is packed. Pretty Mapleton Public House. Not long ago, this was just a charming weatherboard pub pouring pints for locals. That was until 2022, when husband-and-wife team Ben Johnston and Jessica Huddart bought the place. Johnston and Huddart are best known in food circles as owners of The Falls Farm, which supplies specialist produce to heavyweight Brisbane restaurants such as Agnes and Essa. (They also own respected design business Josephmark. Remember when Timberlake-era Myspace switched to sideways scrolling? That was them.) Together with veteran chef Cameron Matthews, they intended to tap the produce from their farm to create the ultimate paddock-to-plate restaurant. In the process, they've become stars of a new wave of elevated eateries in the South East Queensland region. Brunch time at Mapleton Public House. Brisbane and, to a lesser extent, the Gold and Sunshine coasts, have long boasted nationally recognised restaurants, but that often failed to translate beyond the cities. Over an expansive spread from that day's menu, Huddart sits down to talk about what's changed. The weather might be obscuring the pub's usually spectacular views towards the coast, but the colour on the plate makes up for it: the vivid green of farm-picked cucumber and 18-month pickled peppers, the rich red of house-cured roo salumi and rosella jam, or 'nduja-braised sugarloaf. A selection of dishes at Mapleton Public House. Matthews is a long-term regional specialist – he cut his teeth at Simone's in Victoria's Bright and later led that kitchen – but the challenge of rewriting his menu depending on what's coming out of the farm that week (or day) has added extra verve to his cooking. Everything pops with attention-grabbing flavour. 'People feel more tied to their produce now,' Huddart says. 'They're interested in that provenance, and we've been investing in the farm now for 12 years. It's a story we're trying to tell of food grown with care. 'I think there's a correlation between the rise of regional dining and young people pushing out of the cities, or exploring outside of the cities, particularly since the pandemic. It's a rising tide that lifts all boats locally … but also throughout the region.' Blume restaurant in Boonah. Grace Dooner Jack Stuart agrees. Head an hour southwest of Brisbane, deep into the Scenic Rim region, with its pretty patchwork of farms and dramatic ranges, and you'll hit sleepy Boonah. There's a pub, a brace of bakeries, and an RSL. Then there's Blume (5 Church Street, Boonah) , a handsome 24-seater that Stuart opened in an old timber shopfront in 2022. A veteran of Congress Wine in Melbourne, Stuart had considered opening a restaurant in Brisbane when he fell for this beguiling, light-filled space with its timber floors and pressed metal walls. 'I think there's a movement in the Scenic Rim, especially,' Stuart says. 'You have Essen in Stanthorpe and Myrtille in Crows Nest. But I definitely want to do something else in the Scenic Rim.' Stuart fell in love with producers such Scenic Rim Mushrooms, Tommerup's Dairy Farm and Valley Pride (for target beetroots), among many others, which he heroes on his seasonal menu. 'Recently, I met a lady, Chris Greenwall, who has an acreage,' Stuart says. 'She was at the market selling beautiful Jerusalem artichokes. We've started a relationship and next year's artichokes are just for Blume … That's a dream come true.' Essen owner-chef Clarissa Pabst. Paul Harris Clarissa Pabst has a similar relationship to local produce in her native Stanthorpe. Situated 218 kilometres southwest of Brisbane near the NSW border, this is the Granite Belt region. Almost 900 metres above sea level, it's known for the Euro-inflected wines from producers such as Bent Road and Golden Grove. But pre-pandemic, when Pabst moved back to town, there wasn't much of a food scene to go with it. 'There was no one really matching food to the wine,' she says. Her response in 2019 was to open Essen (2 McGregor Terrace, Stanthorpe) , a cosy 20-seat restaurant in an old vine-covered cottage. Not that Pabst pairs wine to her contemporary menu, but a BYO permit encourages diners to explore the surrounding wineries before visiting. Essen restaurant in Stanthorpe. Paul Harris The other appeal of opening in the regions? Cost. Pabst reckons it would've been much harder to open Essen in the city, where rents are higher and there's more competition. Also, Brisbane has, in recent decades, tended to lack the smaller tenancies that give a young chef-patron scope to throw ideas at the wall. 'Regional dining is a great way to get into the market,' Stuart confirms. 'You can open small with lower outgoings in a destination. For me, the rent wasn't crazy – that, on top of the produce, meant it added up.' Tranquillity surrounds Spirit House Restaurant. Five more spots to visit Spirit House The South East's most celebrated regional restaurant remains vital. Chef Tom Hitchcock's cooking is based on Thai techniques but also reaches towards Indonesia and the Philippines. The restaurant's setting inside its own rainforest is fabulous escapism. Book ahead. The Paddock Head into the Gold Coast hinterland to discover this light-filled pavilion with views across boutique country retreat Beechmont Estate. A long lunch here experiencing chefs Chris and Alex Norman's Euro-influenced food is a neat escape from the region's sweltering summers. The Peak at Spicers Peak Lodge Set within Australia's highest sub-alpine lodge, The Peak is the pick of Spicers' accomplished South East Queensland restaurants on location alone. Chef Gareth Newburn, who has a particular interest in native ingredients, uses produce from nearby Scenic Rim and Lockyer Valley. Host Toowoomba was overdue for something like Host when it opened as Zev's Bistro in 2016. Chef-patron Kyle Zevenbergen isn't afraid to toy with surprising flavours, and the restaurant's street-art cool fitout accounts for the rest of its charm. Myrtille From the ashes of much-loved Emeraude in nearby Hampton came Myrtille, a theatrical bistro that was restored by the Hinds family in Crows Nest in 2022. It draws big weekend crowds, so book ahead to experience an accomplished French-influenced menu. The 10 Queensland restaurants you need to eat at this year Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up More: Regional guides Queensland Best of Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘You saw he was listening to you': people Pope Francis met in their hour of need
Pope Francis announced his pastoral intentions from the very beginning of his papacy, saying he preferred a church that was 'bruised, hurting and dirty' from being on the streets to one that was cautious and complacent. Although he never strayed from doctrine – to the annoyance of many optimistic liberals – his 12 years as pope were marked by a deliberate embrace of those historically on the margins of the church and society. He wanted a church, he said, for 'todos, todos, todos' – which translates into: 'Everyone, everyone, everyone.' Here, some of those who met him recall what his pontificate meant to them. Few encounters can have changed a life as dramatically as the meeting between Nour Essa and Pope Francis changed hers. Essa was one of 12 Muslim refugees who Francis met on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016 and flew to Rome aboard his private plane. In an unprecedented move during a trip to the island to highlight the refugee crisis unfolding across Europe, the pope brought her and 11 other Syrians, six of them minors, to the Italian capital, and a new life. 'We were on the plane with him,' said Essa, 30. Together with her husband, Hassan Zaheda, 31, and their little boy, Riad, who was two years old at the time, she had fled Syria's brutal civil war. 'Thanks to this humanitarian corridor he championed, the pope saved our lives. He gave us a new opportunity – not only for our family, but for thousands who came after us.' Today, Essa works as a biologist at Rome's Bambino Gesù hospital. The encounter with Francis touched her deeply. In subsequent meetings, she was astonished that the pope remembered the name of every asylum seeker he had welcomed. 'I couldn't believe it,' she said. 'I was surprised. We met several other times in Rome. He wasn't just the head of the Catholic church – he was a friend, a brother to all migrants, the poor, the forgotten. He was the father of all refugees.' Essa followed the news of Francis's hospitalisation in February with growing anxiety and, after he was discharged, she breathed a tentative sigh of relief. 'When I saw him bless the faithful at Easter, I thought he was out of danger,' she said. 'That's why when, on Monday, we learned he had died, we were devastated. These are sad days for all humanity. Francis is no more, but his message of welcome will endure, and his words will live on in our hearts.' Lorenzo Tondo In 2013, shortly after the start of his pontificate, Pope Francis met Vinicio Riva, whose face was severely disfigured by a rare disease. Photographs of the encounter, in which the two men embraced and prayed together, went viral. For many they seemed to embody the new pontiff's approach to those otherwise shunned or marginalised by society: to draw them in and hold them close. Riva, who suffered from the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, died aged 58 in January 2024. The meeting with Francis helped him to live a happier life, according to Sandra Della Molle, Riva's cousin and one of his closest confidantes. 'Vinicio was going through a very dark time, he was in real pain and needed something to keep living,' said Della Molle, who lives in Isola Vicentina in northern Italy. 'Meeting the pope was his return to life.' Before that meeting, Vinicio had led an isolated existence. 'Nobody understood his condition,' della Molle said. 'Some even thought it was contagious. He stopped riding the bus after one child pointed and said to his mother, 'Look, Mama, there's the monster.' He suffered terribly from that.' That day in St Peter's Square, before thousands of onlookers, Francis paused in prayer and laid his hands on Vinicio, as the man buried his head in the pope's chest. 'The pope embraced him without asking if he was contagious, without asking anything,' said della Molle. 'And from that day, Vinicio's life changed.' Caterina Della Molle, Vinicio's aunt, who cared for him until his death, confirmed the impact of the pope's gesture. 'He became more optimistic, more open, he could see the sun even on the darkest days,' she said. Vinicio kept a photo of himself with the pope close at hand. His aunt even printed a calendar featuring the image and distributed it among the family. 'I still have that calendar with Vinicio and Pope Francis hanging in my office,' Sandra said. 'I look at it often, and I saw it again the day Francis died. I pictured Vinicio, somewhere up there, waiting to embrace the pope once more. I like to think that's exactly how it is.' Lorenzo Tondo When George White, a trans teacher from Leicester, met Pope Francis last October, it took a few hours for the significance of the moment to sink in. 'He accepted a book on trans life in the Catholic church, inside which were letters from me and others. He thanked me, and said, 'God bless you',' White said. 'It was quite surreal. The Holy Father blessed an openly trans man. It affirmed my human dignity.' White, 31, and three other trans men had queued from 7am in St Peter's Square for the pope's regular Wednesday audience. Francis – 'quite frail, even then' – worked the crowd in his wheelchair. When he reached White's small group, he paused to listen to what they had to say via a translator. He shook hands with each of them, grasping White's hand for a second time at the end of the encounter. 'It was possibly the best moment of my life,' said White. White did not grow up in a Catholic family, and was baptised at the age of 16. When he came out as transgender seven years later, he struggled to navigate his identity as both a trans man and a Catholic. 'I was very worried that people [in the church] would reject me, but I was also very thankful for Pope Francis's ministry,' he said. Early in his papacy, Francis signalled a sea change in attitudes when he answered 'who am I to judge?' to a question about gay clergy. He condemned discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, and regularly met trans men and women. 'He was about listening to people and accepting their stories, and then understanding how to pastorally minister to them. His practice of welcoming trans people to the table is something that we haven't seen from any previous pope. His stance had a profound impact,' said White. 'There are some people who feel that LGBTQ+ people shouldn't be welcomed in the church, and we shouldn't be open about who we are. But people that are close to me, in the parishes and the communities and the schools that I go into, are very welcoming. I've got really good friends and colleagues that support me and make sure that my voice is heard.' Francis's death came as a shock despite his poor health. 'I'm worried that the next pope might be more conservative, and that openness and dialogue will disappear. I hope the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals' decision,' said White. Harriet Sherwood When, in November 2023, Pope Francis heard that Mbengue Nyimbilo Crépín –known as Pato, a 30-year-old Cameroonian asylum seeker – had arrived in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean in an overcrowded boat with 22 others, he immediately asked to meet him. The summer before, a photograph of Crépín's wife, Fati Dosso, and their six-year-old daughter Marie, lying face-down in the desert had been viewed around the world. Fati and Marie had died of thirst near the Libya-Tunisia border. Just two days after his arrival, Crépin and Francis met in a small chamber at the Vatican. 'I couldn't believe someone like him would stoop to meet someone like me,' said Crépín. 'But then I realised: this is who he is – humble, compassionate, truly human.' Francis's very first trip outside Rome after his election was to Lampedusa, the Italian island near which thousands of people have drowned attempting to reach Europe. Crépín had the sense that, for the pope, meeting with him was perhaps more significant than an audience with any head of state. 'He wanted every detail of my journey,' Crépín said. 'He told me he carried others' suffering in his own heart. He helped me to stay in Rome, and we spoke often. Over time, he became like a father or a brother to me. 'I am not only a pope,' he would say, 'I am a brother to all, a father to all.' And he meant it.' Crépín says he clings to Francis's words in his darkest moments, when memories of his wife and daughter threaten to overwhelm him. 'He told me, 'Keep going, Pato. Don't give up. Don't look back,' ' he added. 'When I heard of his passing on Monday, I felt a hollow ache in my heart. Once again, I became an orphan.' Lorenzo Tondo Isabel Díaz's sense of disbelief accompanied her all the way through the flight that she and three dozen other Spanish women took to Rome almost eight years ago. In early 2017, she and her fellow members of the archdiocese of Toledo's Santa Teresa group for separated and divorced women had written to Pope Francis after reading Amoris Laetitia, the pontiff's 256-page reflection on the joys of love. They were especially moved by his thoughts on welcoming divorced people back into the arms of the church. Francis replied immediately, inviting them to the Vatican for a chat. 'He was very jolly and all our nerves went away as soon as we began talking to him,' said Díaz, 64. 'He was a very straightforward man who radiated humility, goodness and joy.' The thing she noticed most, however, was Francis's empathy and his ability to listen. 'If you were talking to him about something happy, you saw that he was listening to you,' she said. 'But if you were telling him about something painful, his face changed and you could see the pain in it.' Like many other separated or divorced Catholics, Díaz had been upset by the idea that she had fallen short in the eyes of God and the church. 'It wasn't that I had felt bad when I went to mass, it was just that I'd felt odd and upset because of all the focus on the family,' she said. 'That's why the meeting with the pope meant so much. I've always felt myself to be in the embrace of the church, but I felt that even more strongly after the trip.' Esperanza Gómez-Menor, another member of the group, felt exactly the same after the meeting. 'It felt like I was being embraced by my church as a person who was wounded, or like a lost sheep that comes back into the fold,' she said. The audience, which had been due to last an hour, stretched on for another 40 minutes. When it finally ended, the women were struck by the sight of Francis himself turning off the lights in the room as they filed out. Along with the rosary Francis gave her, the encounter is something Díaz will always treasure. 'Going over there was like being in a dream, and on the way back it felt like the plane was heavier because we were all so full of hope,' she said. 'He gave us hope.' Sam Jones
