On a sombre holy day in Vatican City, Pope Francis, the beloved and revolutionary head of the Roman Catholic Church, peacefully passed away. The Vatican announced that the Pope had died in the morning, surrounded by trusted aides, following a time of declining health. While his death had been expected in light of his previous health complications, it led to sadness and reflection in religious groups and political leaders across the globe.
For the millions who revered him, the coincidence that his death occurred on a major holy feast day provided an added spiritual meaning. Vigils began to gather in large cities, and church bells tolled across continents before the Vatican formally made funeral arrangements.
An Innovative Pope
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected the first American Pope, the first Jesuit pope, and the first non-European Pope in over 1,200 years in 2013. He emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica with a fervent “Buona sera” and a humble wave, accepting his new role with profound humility.
Pope broke convention immediately by choosing to live in the modest Santa Marta guesthouse instead of the Apostolic Palace. He did not don the flashy red shoes his predecessors had worn but instead dressed in simple white papal garments. His choices marked the start of a new era of the Pope, one of pastoral concern rather than pomp, inspiring hope for a more humble and inclusive Church.
Church
Pope Francis redirected the Church’s global mission back towards humility, comprehensiveness, and love. He never ceased to encourage bishops and priests to “smell like their sheep”—to become immersed in the life of the faithful, particularly the poor and the sick.
In 2015, Pope created the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, calling on Catholics all over to practice healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation. He opened the Church’s “Holy Doors” as symbols of acceptance and welcoming for all, religiously affiliated or not.
Demanding that the Church remain open to accepting divorced and remarried Catholics, LGBTQ individuals, and other groups who often felt marginalized, he also advocated forgiveness over judgment.
Worldwide Supporter
Pope Francis gained fame as an unflinching champion of the environment, the poor, and the refugees throughout his papacy. His 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, which was subtitled “On Care for Our Common Home,” was a call to action for individuals to address pollution, global warming, and environmental destruction on an emergency basis, uniting people across the globe in a common cause.
He went to locations near the ends of the earth, including slums in Africa, war zones in Iraq, and refugee camps in Greece, where he stood with those who had lost hope. To draw attention to human dignity, he often broke centuries of tradition by washing the feet of women, strangers, and convicts.
He repeatedly warned against increasing nationalism, economic unfairness, and political disengagement and deplored what he termed a “throwaway culture” that prioritizes business over human beings.
Reforms in the Church
Pope Francis made major reforms in the Vatican despite fierce resistance. He restructured the Roman Curia, making it more transparent and simplifying its offices. He established mechanisms to combat corruption in the Church’s banking and real estate industries and instituted new procedures for financial accountability.
Pope addressed the worldwide issue of sexual abuse directly. He personally met with survivors, established new tribunals to investigate incompetent bishops, and vowed to remove clerics who abused their power “He made the Church more accountable than ever before by taking unprecedented steps, even as critics argued he had not done enough.”
International Discussion
Pope Francis highlighted interreligious dialogue. He was the first pope to travel to the Arabian Peninsula and the first to meet with a Grand Ayatollah in Iraq. Together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, he signed a historic human fraternity declaration in 2019 that called on religious harmony, peace, and respect for each other.
In his bid to bridge age-old fault lines, he also reached out to the Orthodox and Jewish factions. He rooted his diplomacy deeply in empathy without diluting his resolve, and in unity without losing his identity.
The Conscientious Voice
People often saw Francis as the conscience of the world. He stood for peace, reason, and a new focus on human dignity in an age of social upheaval, humanitarian disasters, and political polarization.
He alone stood under the rain to bestow a global benediction in hauntingly empty St. Peter’s Square during the COVID-19 pandemic. His being a shepherd during one of the darkest moments of humanity was etched during that moment when millions watched worldwide.
He always called upon world leaders to rule with conscience and courage, leaving political considerations aside. He insisted that action, particularly on behalf of the weak, is the way in which faith must become incarnate.
