Focus: The Life of Pope Francis
Good evening. Welcome to our memorial mass for Pope Francis.
I would like to unpack what Pope Francis was trying to communicate to us by selecting these readings
The first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, and it features Peter preaching Jesus’ saving mission to the Gentiles, which means the world. We too are called to share Jesus’ good news in our families with our friends in our workplaces.
Peter tells us that God shows no partiality.
I don’t use the word partiality so I looked it up. No partiality means no bias, no prejudice, no discrimination. These are all things that Pope Francis stood for. These are all things we need to continue to promote.
The response Psalm is Psalm 23 – the Good Shepherd. Which means God is with us even when we face suffering and trials.
This is one of my most favorite and most comforting psalms.
“The Lord is my shepherd.” / God is telling us to listen to the Lord versus other voices.
“There is nothing I lack.” / God will provide all that we need. We may not get what we want but we will receive all we need.
Our second reading is from Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Saint Paul tells us that our true home is in heaven. Although we know intellectually that there is a heaven we often act like this world, what we see is all there is (knock on wood).
This room is full of angels. There is heaven and hell. We must constantly remind ourselves of that. We need to live now so that we can share eternity in heaven with Jesus. Eternity is a long time. And we’re only on this earth for a very short time. So as Saint Paul says, we need to keep our eyes and thoughts on things of heaven and not on things of this world.
Finally, our gospel reading is from Saint John. Here Jesus reinstates Peter following Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. Jesus asks Peter three times “do you love me.” We need to answer that same question. As I often say in mass, no one is perfect, not even the people in the front row. We all sin at times. When we do we need to answer the same question Peter was asked when he turned away from God, do we love Jesus. And if the answer is yes we need to pick ourselves back up and get back to following him.
Funerals are often called a celebration of life event.
We have much to be thankful for the gift of the life of Pope Francis and his 12 years as Pope.
He dismantled the trappings of worldly power and status that had been features of the papal court for centuries. On his first morning as Pope he insisted on riding in a small economy car not the papal limousine and afterwards I still remember how he paid his bill at the Vatican residence. He did not live in the Apostolic palace but instead a small three room suite in Santa Marta the Vatican guesthouse (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025)
He emphasized evangelization – His first Apostolic exhortation was “Evangelii gaudium” (for those who don’t know Latin it means The Joy of the Gospel). This document focused on the importance of evangelization, the sharing of the good news of Jesus message of salvation, peace and love to others.
One of the key features of his pontificate was mercy. In his second year as Pope he declared an extraordinary jubilee year of mercy.
He published ”Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love). In it he encouraged A pastoral merciful approach to people in irregular situations Including those remarried after a divorce “to receive communion under certain circumstances. This led 5 Cardinals to publicly demand that he answer their dubia or questions on the issue of communion for the divorced and remarried, but Francis refused to answer questions framed in a yes or no format.” (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025)
For Pope Francis the poor and the marginalized are “at the heart of the gospel.”
Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants. And so immigration was never far from his thoughts. He denounced “the globalization of indifference” to immigrants. He spoke frequently and forcefully on respect and protection of immigrants and refugees
Some of the common themes of Pope Francis were: the church should be a field hospital for people suffering from the anxieties and problems in the world. To build bridges not walls. And that ministers and ministries should have the smell of the sheep, the importance of going out to the people especially those on the margins.
Pope Francis linked the cry of the poor to the cry of creation by the effects of climate change this included his widely acclaimed and cyclical “Laudato si”: “On care for our common home.” (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025)
Throughout his pontificate, Francis sought to promote and affirm women in the life of the church and especially in the Vatican. He appointed women to top executive posts. He also named two women as secretaries of Pontifical commissions and several as members of the boards of various departments of the Roman Curia including the doctrine of the faith and bishops. (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025)
“From the beginning of his pontificate Francis sought to promote peace in countries at war starting with Syria, South Sudan the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar as conflicts multiplied he said the world was witnessing a third World War being waged piecemeal which risks becoming a full scale World War with the threat of the use of nuclear arms… He spoke out strongly against the war in Ukraine … and repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Israeli Palestinian war in Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas and the provision of humanitarian aid. Even during his final hospital stay, he continued his regular communication with Palestinians sheltering in a parish church in Gaza.” (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025).
“Pope Francis broke new ground in relations with the LGBTQ community starting with his remark on the flight from Rio in July 2013. When asked about a Vatican official alleged to have engaged in homosexual behavior he concluded his response saying if someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has goodwill then who am I to judge him.” He approved blessings to couples who are not married according to Church teachings, including same-sex couples.” (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025).
Because of Pope francis’s groundbreaking stands he encountered much opposition. He was criticized for his criticism of the consumption economy, his position supporting climate change, his refusal to prioritize abortion above other life issues and his openness to those in irregular marital situation as well as LGBTQ people. he was criticized for his teaching that the death penalty is “inadmissible” as well as his restrictions on the Latin mass. (America magazine online – Gerard O’Connell April 21, 2025).
Pope Francis was also criticized for his invitation to women and the lay to the Synod of Bishops on synodality.
Speaking of the Synod on synodality he was criticized by both conservatives and progressives. I would suggest that he thus did a commendable job on pursuing a middle ground so as not to tear the church apart like is occurring with the Methodist, Southern Baptist, Anglican and Episcopal churches.
So where do we go from here?
If you like Pope Francis and the changes he made, you will be encouraged by the fact that he appointed over 75% of the Cardinals who can vote in the next conclave. The College of Cardinals is now more international and less European.
If you were critical of Pope Francis you can take comfort in the fact that if history is any predictor life often moves in a pendulum like fashion swinging left and then swinging right and back again.
But in any case we are called to pray and continue his work in our sphere of influence whether that’s in our family, with our friends and in our place of work.
Thank you God for the life of Pope Francis!
