My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with a mixture of profound sorrow and enduring gratitude that we turn our attention today to the life of the late Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis. Having been called home to the Lord on April 21, 2025—the joyous Monday of the Octave of Easter—his life serves not merely as a historical footnote but as a vibrant, prophetic challenge to the modern world. For twelve years, from the moment he stepped onto the balcony and asked the world to pray for him, he redefined the image of the Petrine ministry.
Pope Francis (1936–2025)
The Church has lost a father, but heaven has gained a powerful intercessor. Though the canonical process for his sainthood has only just begun, and he rests currently under the title “Servant of God,” his impact is already being measured in generations. He was a Pope who brought the smell of the sheep to the central Curia, who placed the forgotten peripheries at the heart of the universal Church, and whose voice for the poor and for creation, articulated so beautifully in Laudato Si’, rings with the urgency of a new prophet. He embraced the name of the Poverello of Assisi, and in so doing, charted a new course for the Church’s evangelical mission. His biography is a testament to God’s relentless mercy, a theme he chose as his own motto: Miserando atque eligendo—”by having mercy, he called him.” We must now, as a family of faith, prayerfully reflect on the monumental legacy of the first Jesuit, the first from the Americas, to sit upon the Chair of Peter.
Profile of Holiness: Biographical & Spiritual Data
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Jorge Mario Bergoglio |
| Lifespan | December 17, 1936 – April 21, 2025 |
| Birthplace | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Service Period | Pontificate: March 13, 2013 – April 21, 2025 (12 years) |
| Feast Day | None yet (Cause for Sainthood expected to open) |
| Patronage | The Marginalized, Ecological Movement, Interreligious Dialogue (Anticipated) |
| Key Virtue | Evangelical Mercy and Humility |
The Cradle of Grace: Historical Context & Early Life
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in the vibrant, sprawling metropolis of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was a critical era for South America, marked by political volatility and rapid social change, and the family of the future Pope was a microcosm of a much larger, global movement. His parents, Mario José Bergoglio and Regina María Sívori, were immigrants from Italy—a key fact that imbued their eldest of five children with a deep appreciation for the universal, immigrant nature of the Church, coupled with the rich cultural piety of the Italian tradition.
The world into which he was born was struggling to recover from the Great Depression, with Europe hurtling toward another World War. Argentina, though geographically distant from the major conflicts, was experiencing its own seismic shifts, caught between Peronism, military rule, and the persistent spiritual needs of a populace struggling for economic stability and justice. It was in this environment that young Jorge Mario learned the value of hard work, thrift, and, most importantly, the radical charity modeled by his devout mother. His childhood was ordinary: he loved to play soccer (football), had a brief flirtation with chemistry studies, and carried a deep, foundational faith.
However, his early life was also marked by profound physical suffering that would shape his spiritual trajectory. At the age of 21, he fell gravely ill with a severe form of pneumonia, requiring the partial removal of his right lung. This terrifying, near-fatal episode was a crucible. It was a stark encounter with human frailty that, as he would later reflect, cemented his conviction of God’s saving grace in the face of death. This early experience of physical suffering became a foundational aspect of his spirituality, giving him a deep and tender empathy for the sick and marginalized—an empathy that would define his entire ministry, from the slums of Buenos Aires to the halls of the Vatican. He understood, firsthand, the reality of the psalmist: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26. The experience served as a quiet, powerful invitation to dedicate his life fully to the One who saved him from the brink.
The Turning Point: Vocation and Conversion
The call to the priesthood for Jorge Mario Bergoglio was not a sudden, blinding flash, but rather a slow, deliberate burn that intensified after his near-death experience. The true “turning point,” however, is traditionally traced to September 21, 1953, the Feast of St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist. As a seventeen-year-old, he felt a powerful, mysterious prompting in the confessional. He later described it as an encounter with the gaze of Christ—a gaze of profound mercy that called him out of his former life. This is the source of his papal motto, Miserando atque eligendo, which refers to the call of St. Matthew, the tax collector: Jesus saw him, had mercy on him, and chose him. The encounter spoke to him of a God who sought out the sinner, the incomplete, and the imperfect.
He eventually entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1958, choosing a religious order known for its intellectual rigor and its willingness to serve “on the frontiers.” His path was not easy. The years he spent as the Jesuit Provincial of Argentina (1973–1979) were especially challenging, coinciding with the brutal military dictatorship known as the “Dirty War.” This period placed him in a difficult, agonizing position as he sought to protect his priests and seminarians, some of whom were engaged in dangerous social work, from the violence of the regime. He faced internal and external pressure, navigating a climate of fear and suspicion. His reputation was tested and, at times, unfairly questioned, yet his determination to shepherd his flock through those dark years forged in him a resilience and a deep-seated caution.
The greatest and final turning point came on March 13, 2013, when the College of Cardinals, seeking a man of pastoral passion and global perspective, elected him to the papacy. Stepping onto the balcony, he did not appear as a prince but as a humble parish priest, greeting the crowd with a simple “Brothers and sisters, good evening,” and immediately requesting their prayers for him and his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. This was his great, public conversion to the Petrine ministry: a conscious decision to divest the papacy of its imperial trappings and to model it on the humility and simplicity of St. Francis of Assisi, the name he chose. He embraced the cross of his new office not with triumphalism, but with a request for mercy.
The Great Labor: Ministry and Mission
Pope Francis’s twelve-year pontificate was a period of intense, dedicated labor, marked by two central themes: Mercy and the Peripheries. His primary mission was to transform the Church into a “field hospital,” always ready to bind wounds rather than to judge the injured. His very first major initiative, the proclamation of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2015–2016), set the tone, inviting the faithful to rediscover the sacrament of Reconciliation and to practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
His major achievements include four encyclicals and numerous Apostolic Exhortations that are now cornerstones of Catholic social teaching. Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) was his programmatic text, declaring a missionary mandate: a call to overcome the “globalization of indifference.” This was followed by his groundbreaking environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’, which firmly established the Church as a major global voice on the “care for our common home,” integrating the cry of the poor with the cry of the earth. His later work, Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All), called for universal fraternity and a renewed, post-pandemic social order.
The Pope’s global pilgrimages exemplified his focus on the peripheries. He consistently chose to visit countries often overlooked, such as his trips to Iraq, South Sudan, and Mongolia, as the first Pope to do so. In these travels, his ministry was one of profound, tangible charity. A powerful recent example of this was the return of 62 Indigenous artifacts to Canada following his historic apology for the Church’s role in residential schools. Though the final transfer was completed by his successor, Pope Leo XIV, the Pope had initiated the process, demonstrating a deep, concrete commitment to reconciliation and restorative justice. These artifacts, held for a century in the Vatican Museums, were not just returned; they were given back as a “concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity,” transforming historical possessions into instruments of healing. His entire ministry was a reflection of the Gospel command: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” – Matthew 9:13.
The Teacher of Souls: Theological & Spiritual Legacy
The theological contribution of Pope Francis is centered not in dense speculative tracts but in a theology of encounter and pastoral realism. He taught primarily through gestures, concrete acts of humility, and his frequent, spontaneous sermons that applied the Gospel directly to contemporary life. He repeatedly cautioned against an “ideological Christianity,” which he defined as focusing more on rules and doctrines than on the transformative, messy reality of encountering Christ in the world.
His most significant intellectual contribution lies in the concept of the “Synodal Church.” For Francis, the Church must constantly “journey together”—a concept realized through the two Synods on the Family and the multi-year Synod on Synodality. This teaching stresses that authority is not top-down but is exercised through listening to the Holy Spirit speaking through the entire People of God—bishops, clergy, religious, and laity alike.
A key teaching that encapsulates his spiritual path is the “Culture of Encounter”. He urged us all to move beyond indifference, to break down the walls that separate us, and to meet others where they are. He famously wrote in Evangelii Gaudium:
“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
— Evangelii Gaudium, 49
This quote is the heart of his spiritual legacy. It is a profound instruction to the faithful: true Christian life is not a matter of seeking spiritual comfort within walls, but of finding Christ in the brokenness of the world. It is the path of a missionary disciple who brings the joy of the Gospel to every human periphery, a spiritual path of radical outward movement. The Christian Way must be a way of movement, a pilgrimage toward the marginalized.
The Via Dolorosa: Suffering, Death, and the Cause for Sainthood
Like all who walk the path of discipleship, Pope Francis’s life was marked by the cross. His early bout with pneumonia left him with a lifelong vulnerability, a physical cross he carried with quiet dignity. During his pontificate, he endured significant health crises, including intestinal surgery in 2021 and recurring respiratory issues. The suffering was not only physical; he faced profound spiritual and political adversity, dealing with the continuing crisis of clergy sexual abuse and navigating intense ideological opposition from within the Church. Yet, he persevered, often quoting the saints and his grandmother as sources of strength.
The final years of his life saw a noticeable decline in his physical health, culminating in his hospitalization in early 2025 due to a complex lung infection. Despite looking frail upon his release, he maintained his pastoral duties, keeping his Holy Thursday tradition of visiting the least fortunate, spending time with inmates at Rome’s Regina Coeli prison.
His final goodbye to the faithful came on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, when he delivered the Urbi et Orbi blessing. The next day, Monday, April 21, 2025—the second day of the Easter Octave—the Lord called him home. He passed away peacefully at 7:35 a.m. in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican residence he chose to make his home, eschewing the Apostolic Palace. The timing, on a day marking the triumph of the Risen Christ, is a poignant, grace-filled detail, a final spiritual affirmation of his life’s work.
His funeral was held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square, followed by his burial at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, a place of deep Marian devotion for him. The road to sainthood has already begun in the hearts of the faithful, who immediately began to pray for his intercession. His successor, Pope Leo XIV, is expected, in due course, to waive the traditional five-year waiting period to open the cause for canonization, formally conferring the title of Servant of God and beginning the rigorous process. The simplicity of his life, the depth of his teaching, and the heroic virtue of his perseverance give the Church great hope that this process will one day see him recognized as Saint Francis of Rome.
Spiritual Highlights: Lessons for the Modern Christian
The life of the Servant of God Pope Francis offers practical, actionable spiritual guidance for every believer seeking to live a life of holiness in the 21st century:
- Embrace the Periphery: Do not just give charity from afar. Go out to meet the poor, the lonely, and the marginalized in your own community. Holiness is found not in comfort but on the edges.
- Be an Architect of Encounter: Break the “globalization of indifference.” Commit to seeing the face of Christ in every person you meet, especially those you disagree with. Dialogue is not surrender; it is a spiritual necessity.
- Practice Ecological Conversion: Recognize the interconnectedness of creation. Simplify your lifestyle, reduce waste, and treat the earth not as a resource to be exploited, but as a sister to be protected.
- Prioritize Mercy over Judgment: Approach your own failings and those of others with the radical, non-judgmental mercy of Christ. Never use the Gospel as a weapon, but only as a balm.
- Keep a Sense of Humor and Hope: Despite facing great challenges, Pope Francis was known for his cheerfulness and simple joy. Remember that the Christian faith is founded on the Resurrection, and therefore, hope is the engine of the soul.
A Prayer for Intercession
O merciful and eternal God, who in Your Providence called Your Servant Pope Francis to shepherd Your Church in a time of great need, grant that we may be filled with the spirit of humility, mercy, and service that radiated from his life. May his example of radical love for the poor, his tireless call for ecological justice, and his courageous invitation to encounter guide our own steps toward Christ. Look upon Your Church with favor, and if it be Your Divine Will, hasten the day when this humble Shepherd of the Peripheries will be formally raised to the altars, that we may invoke his powerful intercession with full confidence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
