The Death of Pope Francis

On April 21, 2025 Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, died at age 88. The world lost a truly remarkable moral leader and spiritual guide, a great advocate for the poor, voiceless and vulnerable. At this time, I want to pay tribute to Pope Francis under three headings.

First, he was a truly humble man who accepted his total dependence on almightily God and utilized the gifts God bestowed on him for the common good. On March 13, 2013, a relatively unknown Jesuit cardinal, Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, made a striking entrance on the world stage. Having chosen the name Francis after the great saint from Assisi, the newly elected pope stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, dressed simply in the white papal cassock without the ermine cape worn by previous popes for their initial public appearance. Before giving the traditional papal blessing, Francis broke precedent by asking the crowd to do him a favor: “I ask you to pray to the Lord to bless me.” The pope then bowed his head as the vast throng grew silent, an iconic moment that provided a key for interpreting his humble ministry as Bishop of Rome. In his autobiography, simply titled Hope, Francis makes clear that he had no idea that he would be elected pope, not even when the media began to suggest he was a possibility. This means that all of his early decisions were completely spontaneous and grew out of his own deep spirituality. For example: choosing the name Francis after the great saint of Assisi; the choice to live in the guest house rather than the papal palace; the decision not to wear the traditional garb when appearing publicly on the balcony; and the request for prayers from those gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

Second, Pope Francis was a tireless advocate for implementing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. From my perspective as a diocesan priest, ordained in 1962, just months before the beginning of Vatican II, the Francis pontificate appeared as a revitalization of the heady days of the Council and the early years of applying its spirit and teachings to the challenges of everyday pastoral ministry. Francis renewed the dream of a new Pentecost articulated so eloquently by Pope John XXIII at the beginning of the Council. Our first Latin American pope refocused our attention on the great conciliar themes that gave early shape and direction to pastoral ministry: the Church as the people of God; priests as servant leaders; laypersons called to holiness; full, active, conscious participation in the liturgy, the font of the Christian life; positive evaluations of other religions and the importance of dialogue and collaboration; salvation optimism; religious liberty for all; Church as a sign and instrument of the kingdom of God; scripture as the normative source of spiritual nourishment and moral guidance; and the Church as leaven for humanizing culture and creating a more just society. Francis demonstrated once again the power and joy of the simple unadorned gospel message. He reignited enthusiasm for the conciliar reforms, often thwarted by various “reform of the reform” movements. Pope Francis not only generated renewed hope and energy for older Catholics formed by Vatican II, but also provided younger generations with an inspiring vision and practical wisdom on the enduring challenge of building up the body of Christ and spreading the reign of God in the world. Although there is now no empirical evidence of a widespread Francis effect on the Catholic practice of the faith, history will reveal if the seeds the pope planted will have an impact on future generations of Catholics.

Third, in his efforts to reform the church, Francis put great emphasis on developing a “synodal church.” In an address commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, the pope noted that the contemporary world demands a Church committed to “journeying together” as the word synod suggests. “Synodality is a constitutive element of the Church,” which is “the most appropriate interpretative framework” for understanding its ministry and mission. This requires “mutual listening” so that all the members of the Church are heard and can function as both teachers and learners, while listening to the Holy Spirit together. In a synodal Church, “there is a dynamism of communion which inspires all ecclesial decisions.”

At the parish level, Francis urged leaders and organizations “keep connected to the base” and stay responsive to “people and their daily problems.” At the universal level, Francis favored a “sound decentralization,” based on his conviction that the pope should not “take the place of local bishops in the discernment of every issue which arise in their territory.” In a synodal church, the laity, the bishops and the pope work together, “all listening to each other, and all listening to the Holy Spirit,” in order to “bring about a more beautiful and humane world for coming generations.” As we mourn the death of Pope Francis, let us keep alive the memory of this widely esteemed spiritual guide, his humble life, his great example of servant leadership and his infectious hopeful spirit.