Remembering Pope Francis

The Lakewood Catholic Academy community mourns the death of Pope Francis. Even though we’ve known for some time that his health was failing, this news is heartbreaking. As one of my good friends shared with me this morning, “It is amazing how someone I never met somehow made me feel like he was an old confidant and friend.” Pope Francis was indeed a friend to many. And just like Jesus wept over the death of his friend, Lazarus, today we weep over our loss of Pope Francis.

Having worked on projects at and in conjunction with the Vatican, I know well that the institutional Church is a complicated place because it is a human organization, and we humans are very complicated. In the days ahead much will be written about the legacy of Pope Francis and that legacy, like the man himself, is complicated. However, one thing is not complicated, Pope Francis believed that God’s love is unconditional and for everyone, “Todos” as he often repeated.

Pope Francis shared God’s love in many ways. He offered a listening ear and compassionate grace to many who felt unwelcome by the Church. He embraced and uplifted those who felt unseen, those on the margins like the poor and the refugee. He served with humility choosing to live in a modest apartment rather than the apostolic palace as well as washing and kissing the feet of the imprisoned on Holy Thursday. He acted selflessly choosing to care for others. Even while ill and hospitalized, he called a pastor in Gaza every night to offer prayerful support. He cared deeply for the planet and wrote passionately about our shared responsibility to take environmental action to care for God’s creation. He spread joy with his smile just as he spread the Gospel of Jesus.

Despite the hopelessness that many feel these days and specifically on this day, we must hold on to hope. Pope Francis declared this year a Jubilee and the theme is Pilgrims of Hope. May we honor Pope Francis’ life of service with our own commitment to continuing our journey toward God with hope and an unshakable love for everyone, Todos!

I encourage you to stop in our Chapel, where we will have a portrait of Pope Francis on display just as we did when his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, died. Take a moment to pray and, ultimately, to love and hope as Pope Francis did.