Catholic leaders worldwide and the Bible Society has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and called for prayers while remembering the Christian example of the monarch.

“At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty,” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said in a statement. “We do so with confidence to cite her Christmas message from 2000.

“Too many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance,” he quoted her as saying, “For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

Paul Williams, an executive of the Bible Society in a statement said, “We cannot understand the Queen without reference to her Christian faith,” Williams said. “There’s a marvellous section in her Coronation service when she was presented with a Bible, described as the ‘Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes’ and ‘the most valuable thing that this world affords. The Queen’s life and testimony make it clear that she took these words very seriously.

“The Queen’s faith has made a real difference to her reign and the nation. She attended church more than weekly, prayed and read the Bible. Her Christian faith has been her guide during the highs and lows of her life and because of that, she has been able to be a stable and enduring presence in our national life.

‘I think that the Queen’s legacy is her example of what true service and duty look like. Her whole life has been one of service. I think the Queen will be remembered in line with these words from Proverbs 10.7, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing,” he concluded.

The monarch was the patron of the Bible Society from 1952 when she ascended the throne.

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