By Fr. Joseph Royan, C.Ss.R.
A Pope of Firsts
It’s hard to put the legacy of Pope Francis into words. He was the first Jesuit to be elected Pope, the first from the Americas, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first from the southern hemisphere. His election marked a shift in the Church’s focus to the global south, where Catholicism is growing rapidly. He was also the first non-European Pope in over 1200 years, the last being Pope Gregory III in the 8th century from Syria.
Pope Francis was the first to take the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, symbolizing humility, poverty, care for the poor, and the environment. His life has been one of simplicity and humility, choosing to live in the simple guesthouse of Casa Santa Marta instead of the Apostolic Palace. He worked to bring about reform in the Church, whether it was in Vatican finances, calling for financial transparency, seeking forgiveness for the sexual abuse scandal, or reforming the administration by appointing women to high positions in the Vatican.
A Reformer and Bridge-Builder
Pope Francis was the first Pope to appoint a woman to head a Vatican department: Sister Simona Brambilla as Prefect of the Dicastery for Consecrated Life. He promoted inter-religious dialogue and care for our common home, Mother Earth. His encyclical “Laudato Si” was well received and appreciated by people of all faiths, spurring a movement toward sustainable development and integral ecology.
He was an apostle of mercy, hope, and inclusiveness, reaching out to everyone, especially the poor, the elderly, the disabled, refugees, migrants, prisoners, the marginalized, and those on the margins of society. He made no distinctions and worked to build an inclusive church where all feel welcome. The last two synods on synodality were his attempt to pave the way for greater participation of lay people and women in church governance.
Pope Francis challenged world leaders to work for social justice and equality. He urged the ethical use of artificial intelligence and technology that enhances and promotes human dignity. His papacy was one of building bridges, promoting unity and harmony. He prayed every day for peace in the world and worked hard to negotiate peace and end conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the conflict between Palestine and Israel.
A Global Leader
During his pontificate, Pope Francis made 47 international trips, covering some 469,000 kilometers, visiting 10 African countries, 22 Asian countries, 23 European countries, and 12 countries in the Americas. He gave the Church in India five saints and appointed three new cardinals from India. He urged the Church in India to love and care for the poor and less fortunate and to work toward a more inclusive synodal Church.
He proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Mercy (2015-2016) and a Jubilee dedicated to Hope, also known as “Pilgrims of Hope” (Dec. 2024-2025). He convened four synods: on Family, on Youth, on the Amazon, and on Synodality. He gave us four encyclicals, including one co-authored with Pope Benedict XVI, and seven Apostolic Exhortations. He canonized 939 people—more than any modern pope.
A Man for the People
What moved me deeply was his unannounced visit to St. Peter’s Basilica on April 10 at 1 p.m. Without liturgical vestments or a choreographed celebration, he appeared with a plaid blanket over his legs and nasal oxygen tubes, bearing silent witness to his ongoing convalescence. This private moment, by its simplicity, was transformed into something unforgettable. Here was Pope Francis, unafraid to show his vulnerability and his deep desire to share his closeness with his flock.
Pope Francis probably knew that his end was near, and he made the most of every opportunity to be close to his people during Holy Week, including his surprise visit to the prisoners at Regina Coeli on Holy Thursday. On Easter Sunday, against the advice of his doctors, he greeted people from his popemobile after Urbi et Orbi. He must have known it could be his last, as he thanked his personal assistant for helping him on his final trip around Vatican Square.
This is what Pope Francis’ ministry has been all about: his closeness to his people—touching the wounded, embracing the marginalized, showing up where the pain is. Even in weakness, he communicated strength. Even in silence, he spoke volumes.
A Pastor in the spirit of St. Alphonsus
For us Redemptorists, the papacy of Francis is a 21st-century revival of the pastoral mercy of St. Alphonsus. As St. Alphonsus reached out to the most abandoned, so Pope Francis has taken the Church to where people are, to the peripheries, meeting them in their brokenness. Like St. Alphonsus, patron of confessors, Pope Francis urged his pastors to be merciful in the confessional and not to turn it into a “torture chamber.”
A Final Farewell
Thousands will gather in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. to bid farewell to a great Pope. I am sure that when Pope Francis joins his predecessors in heaven, our good Lord and Peter, the first Pope to whom is entrusted the keys to the gates of heaven, will be there to welcome him with a loving embrace, saying: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the kingdom prepared by my Father.”
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