Dear Sisters, Associates, and Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This morning our beloved Pope Francis was called home to the heart of God. May he rest in peace! He made his last public appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, offering a short Easter greeting, “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter!” while an aide read his Urbi et Orbi Easter message, which included these words of hope, “Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again!” He was then driven through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile for one last opportunity to be close to the people whom he loved.
Pope Francis leaves behind a beloved community, the Church, many of whom found great hope in his words and actions, some of whom reviled those same words and actions, none of whom could ignore his daily call to reconciliation, love, and prayer for one another. From the “Habemus Papam” announcement, his first gentle greeting of “Buona sera, good evening” on March 13, 2013, and his request that the People of God first bless him in prayer before he bestowed his blessing upon the People of God, we knew we had a true Pastor, not just for the Church, but for the whole world.
In word and deed, Francis urged the Church to be more of who we are called to be by Jesus Christ – more loving, more inclusive, more forgiving, more understanding, just more. His first visit outside of Rome was to Lampedusa, where he highlighted the plight of the migrant and refugee. In his homily that day, he reflected on Cain and Abel and God’s question to Cain, “Where is your brother?” These words of the pope continue to challenge our own nation as we witness the mass deportation of our sisters and brothers who have sought a safe place to call home and have, instead, found fear, rejection, and intolerance. Francis preached, “In this globalized world, we have fallen into globalized indifference. We have become used to the suffering of others: it doesn’t affect me; it doesn’t concern me; it’s none of my business! … I would like to ask a question: ‘Has any of us wept because of this situation and others like it?’ … We are a society which has forgotten how to weep, how to experience compassion – ‘suffering with’ others: the globalization of indifference has taken from us the ability to weep! … Let us ask the Lord for the grace to weep over our indifference, to weep over the cruelty of our world, of our own hearts, and of all those who in anonymity make social and economic decisions which open the door to tragic situations like this.”
Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortations and encyclicals also challenged us to remember who and whose we are, in particular:
- Evangelium gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel): formed and shaped by the gospel, we are called to proclaim it;
- Lumen fidei (The Light of Faith): how the light of Christ is to mark our journey of faith;
- Laudato si’ (Praise Be to You): on our call to care for our common home;
- Fratelli tutti (Fraternity and Social Friendship): on our call to be open to all people and recognize their dignity as brothers and sisters made in the image of God; and
- Dilexit nos (He Loved Us): on God’s overwhelming love for us as shown in and through Jesus Christ
His words will continue to challenge and inspire for ages to come.
One of the greatest gifts Pope Francis has left us is that of the Synod on Synodality and its ongoing challenge to the whole Church – laity, religious, clergy, bishops – to walk together as sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ in a spirit of mutual respect. The way we listen, dialogue, and discern the mission to which we are called has the potential of being truly transformational for our Church and our world. May we live into its promise and possibility.
Pope Francis, the Servant of the Servants of God, lived a long and fruitful life, dedicating his last twelve years to serving the entire world as its moral compass. Though not perfect, for he called himself a sinner, he was its loving Pastor. We give thanks to God for the gift of his life and his witness. We will gather to remember and celebrate him this evening at 7:00 PM in Chapel of the Word. All are welcome to join us.
