Pope
Francis — An Icon of Reconciliation and Mercy
March 13 was a unique day in the
history of the Church. On that day, 115 cardinals selected a successor to Pope
Benedict XVI, and a crowd of more than a hundred thousand heard for the first
time that a new Pope was elected from the Cardinals outside of Europe. For the
first time, a Cardinal from Latin America, a Jesuit named Francis, has
been elected as the new Pope. More than 5000 journalists were waiting outside
to witness this event and report about it to their people spread all across all the continents of the world. Thus, a new chapter has been opened in the
history of the Church with the election of the new Pope. Within a few moments
after his public appearance, he gained the affection of the
people waiting to see and hear him. His first words were full of love and
concern, calling the people to walk with him in this great pilgrimage of faith:
“And now let us begin this journey… a journey of fraternity, of trust between
us. I hope that this journey of the Church will be fruitful for the
evangelization of this beautiful city.”
It would be interesting to note
what the media, especially the Western media, were saying about the situation
of the Church and about the role the new Pope has to play. According to the
Press, the Church is falling apart, bedeviled with scandals and moral
bankruptcy. Some of the major problems affecting the Church mentioned in the
media are the following: sex abuse scandals, bureaucratic infighting in the
curia, financial difficulties, money laundering, lack of transparency in the
handling of finance, the rise of secularism, women's disenchantment, married
clergy etc. According to these media reports, the Church is going to
disintegrate unless the above issues are settled.
Some see the Church as a corporation and predict that the infighting among the curial bureaucrats would affect the functioning of the Church. The Economist of March 9, in its leading article, thinks of the Pope as CEO. According to the writer, for the successful governing of the Church, a new management style has to be adopted. They see the Pope as a CEO of a corporation. They suggest that, as the Church is international, it would be wrong to have all the bureaucrats who work in the Curia selected from Rome itself. More internationalization is needed in the functioning of the Church. It has even suggested moving the summer residence of the Pope to a country in Latin America. (This was published before the election of the Pope from Latin America).
With the election of Pope Francis, the situation has changed, and the media and the people were taken by surprise by his humility and down-to-earth understanding of the people and their problems.
Pope Francis has consistently used the
language of reconciliation, love, and mercy. He has never spoken in a way that
would undermine the dignity of any person. Even when urged during meetings or
conversations to take stringent actions against individuals whose actions were
deemed detrimental to the Church, he refrained from harsh responses or remained
silent. He understood that such measures could deepen divisions and escalate
hostilities.
From the
time of his election as Pope, he led the Church with a new and distinctive
perception. The very name he chose—Francis—was initially misunderstood by some
as a reference to St. Francis Xavier. However, he clarified that he had chosen
the name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, whose love for poverty and nature
deeply inspired him, even in his early life.
The Face of Mercy
The
central focus of Pope Francis's ministry was mercy. His pastoral approach was
deeply marked by compassion, especially in his interactions with the poor and
marginalized. He paid close attention to the needs of those living on the
streets near the Vatican, ensuring they received food, shelter, and warm
blankets.
During
the last Synod, upon learning that a homeless person had died, he instructed a
cardinal to conduct the funeral rites and have the man buried in the Vatican
cemetery. In every country he visited, he made it a point to organize special
programs for the poor. He also gave particular attention to migrants. For
example, in response to the plight of the Rohingya refugees who fled from
Myanmar to Bangladesh, he raised substantial funds to assist the local
government with their resettlement. I learned of this personally through
Archbishop Kocherry, the former Apostolic Nuncio in Bangladesh.
The Pope
was always impartial in his approach. He prioritized visiting poorer nations
and reaching out to people of different religions.
A New Definition of Hierarchy
Pope
Francis redefined the Church's hierarchy by appointing laypeople, women, and
religious to leadership positions in Vatican departments that were
traditionally led by cardinals. A layman was appointed as the Prefect of the
Dicastery for Communication, and a religious sister became the head of the
Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life. Through these appointments, he
emphasized his commitment to recognizing the capabilities of all members of the
Church, regardless of their clerical status.
In the
Council for the Economy, he appointed three laywomen, demonstrating his intent
to involve everyone in the mission of the Church. To further this inclusive
vision, he convened two synods and published their findings to guide the Church
forward.
Love of Nature
The
protection of the environment was one of Pope Francis’s core missions. His love
for nature was powerfully expressed in his encyclical Laudato Si'. He
called on humanity to recognize the Earth as a divine gift, urging everyone to
preserve and enrich it for future generations. He spoke of nature as “our
mother” and reminded us that God’s love extends not only to humanity but also
to the creation itself.
His Care for the Syro-Malabar Church
Pope Francis took a deep interest in the growth and welfare of various Eastern Catholic Churches. . It was thanks to his encouragement that we were able to establish four dioceses outside India.
He maintained warm, friendly relationships with those who worked closely with him. Yet, he never hesitated to express his views firmly when necessary, even to those dear to him. He never compromised the good of the Church for the sake of personal ties.
He had a
heartfelt desire to visit India, though sadly, that visit never materialized.
Inclusivity
Pope
Francis never made decisions to favor specific groups. His guiding vision was
that all people are children of God, regardless of their beliefs or
backgrounds—even those who may hold extreme or misguided views. He respected
the autonomy of local Churches in addressing diocesan issues, believing it was
not his role to impose from above.
He viewed
all religions and ecclesial communities through the lens of shared humanity and
mutual respect. His stance was clear: every Church must make its own decisions,
grounded in its unique local context.
A Visionary Shepherd
With his
passing, the world has lost a shepherd, a guide, and a visionary. He reached
out to all people across races, religions, and nations, seeking to unite them
under the umbrella of love. His was a broad, inclusive, and undiluted vision of
the Church and of humanity.
