The Passing of Pope Francis

Pope Francis has died this morning at the age of 88. As the psalmist says, "The years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore" (Psalm 90:10). Certainly Pope Francis possessed strength. His was a strength that made many love him and many hate him and many, like most true personalities, be not so sure how they felt toward the spiritual father of the world. I for one think that Pope Francis gave us a great summary of his pontificate's work in his Urbi et Orbi blessing yesterday to kick off our Easter festivities. As his final public message as Pope it is worth our intentional consideration. I suggest you read it in full and pray with it and pray for him, but if you are pressed for time here are some beautiful quotes and my brief reflection. 

"Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day… 

The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us. 

All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of Life. 

Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life…" 

I am particularly struck by his appeal to those in political responsibility, but it applies to all of us who are addicted to politics as entertainment, "not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help" others. "May the principle of humanity never fail to be the hallmark of our daily actions." The principle of humanity. This might have been the major tune of Pope Francis’ papacy. Rather than an inward turn to a secular humanism characterized by relativizing all genuine differences of culture and peoples, Pope Francis embraced what is called Christian humanism, realizing that the principle of humanity is none other than Jesus Christ. The risen Jesus captures, “the whole meaning of our existence.” 

The Church’s magisterial embracing of this principle is first seen clearly in the Second Vatican Council’s final constitution, Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). It just so happens these two sections I will quote were favorites of  Pope St. John Paul II which he nearly quoted in every papal document and Pope Francis often alluded to. 

 "The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear. It is not surprising, then, that in Him all the aforementioned truths find their root and attain their crown" (§ 22).  

"Indeed, the Lord Jesus, when He prayed to the Father, "that all may be one. . . as we are one" (John 17:21-22) opened up vistas closed to human reason, for He implied a certain likeness between the union of the divine Persons, and the unity of God's sons in truth and charity. This likeness reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself" (§ 24).  

Pope Francis was well aware of the personal revelation of Christ for each one of us and the world. He knew that we each have to have a dramatic encounter with Christ and that our lives are a mission in Christ. In his first appearance as pope back in 2013 he said, “And now let us begin this journey, the Bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood.” We can all truly call each other, every human person in the world, our brothers and sisters because Jesus Christ, in His Incarnation wed divinity and humanity in the Divine Person of the Son. Through the Church we can all truly discover one another, truly commune with one another, and truly bring peace to the world by becoming fonts of Christ’s love. This was Pope Francis’ hope, and it should remain our hope, especially this Easter during this special Jubilee year.  

Let us embrace this journey Pope Francis has constantly encouraged us to be on, it is the journey of truly being Easter people, people whose lives are formed by this great Paschal Mystery so that we can let jubilee be the theme of our lives and the world we build together. How can we embrace jubilee in our lives? Choose hope. Wrestle with our Lord’s beatitudes. Embrace freedom in Christ through the sacraments. Look at where you are in the world and help those in spiritual and physical need even if you need to sacrifice. Listen to the Holy Spirit. As Mother Teresa said, “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” Let your life be a Christ paradox to those near you. 

Pope Francis concluded his final message by saying, “In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever...He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5)!"   

Now let us pray for his soul and for the cardinals that they might listen to the Holy Spirit and embrace holiness as they come together to select our next spiritual father.  

God, Who, in Thine ineffable providence, 

didst will that Thy servant Francis should be numbered among the high priests; 

grant, we beseech Thee, that he, who on earth held the place of Thine only-begotten Son, 

may be joined forevermore to the fellowship of Thy holy pontiffs. 

Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. 

Amen. 

Eternal rest grant unto Francis, O Lord. 

And let the perpetual light shine upon him. 

And may his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, 

through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Amen.