Christians mourn death of bishop Tony Palmer, friend of Pope Francis – Christian Today August 17, 2014 by Fulcrum Evangelicals and other Christians worldwide are mourning the sudden death of a bishop in a breakaway Anglican church who had become a close personal friend of Pope Francis. British-born Tony Palmer has died in hospital following hours of surgery after a motorcycle accident in the UK. Ruth Gledhill. Christian Today 22 July 2014 FulcrumShareTweetShare