Pope Francis, certain of the empty tomb, went with hope to his own on Easter Monday at the age of 88. The bells of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
began to toll at the news of the Roman pontiff’s passing. In short order, all of the bells in the Italian capital followed suit.
Hours earlier, Pope Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina —
met with Catholic U.S. Vice President JD Vance, rode through St. Peter’s Square to greet the faithful, and gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).
The pope, greatly weakened by his bout with pneumonia and able only to raise his hands enough to make the sign of the cross,
noted in his Easter message, “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.”
‘In his eyes, every life is precious!’
“Together with the risen Jesus,” wrote the pope, those who trust in God “become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of life.”
Pope Francis also conveyed in his message, which was read by Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, master of pontifical liturgical celebrations of the supreme pontiff, that “God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again.”
“In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded,” wrote the pope.
Pope Francis condemned anti-Semitism and the “great thirst for death” seen around the world and drew attention in particular to “the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.”
“I appeal to the warring parties: Call a ceasefire, release the hostages, and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace,” added the pope.
The pope underscored that Jesus “is alive and is with us always, shedding the tears of those who suffer and adding to the beauty of life through the small acts of love carried out by each of us.”
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, speaking in Vatican City,
indicated that Pope Francis “returned to the house of the Father” at 7:35 a.m. Monday morning.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church,” said Farrell. “He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
The Vatican
noted that Pope Francis, who wrote and published four papal encyclicals, approved an updated edition of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites in April 2024.
“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Ravelli, “seeks to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”
Pope Francis — who once
stated that humility “saves us from the evil one and from the danger of becoming his accomplices” — apparently desired a simplification of the funeral rites and a focus on expressing the faith of the Catholic Church in the risen body of Christ.
After the pope’s funeral and nine days of mourning, cardinals will convene in Rome to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Pope Francis, born to Italian immigrants in 1936, entered the Society of Jesus at age 21 and was ordained a priest in 1969. After serving as a Jesuit provincial, seminary rector, and professor, Bergoglio was appointed auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires by St. John Paul II in 1992. Six years later he became archbishop of the city, cardinal in 2001, then pope in 2013 at the age of 76, following the unprecedented resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.
The Catholic News Agency
noted that he was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to adopt the name Francis — a name he chose on account of St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to creation, peace, and poverty.
During his papacy, Pope Francis — who suffered from lung issues for decades — created 163 new cardinals, canonized 942 saints, and issued 75 motu proprio documents.
Pope Francis often frustrated liberals and conservative Catholics alike, either going what was perceived to be too far in one direction or not far enough in the other.
‘Nobody, absolutely nobody, has managed to understand him.’
For instance, he did not depreciate the sacrament of marriage to accommodate the desires of non-straight activists inside or outside the church, and he refrained from removing barriers to female priests. But he also restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass and was often critical of Western nations, particularly the United States and its policies.
Dan Hitchens,
writing for First Things, indicated that “he began the decade being hero-worshipped by the world’s media and ended it being denounced by Jordan Peterson. Books, articles, Twitter threads have poured forth from overheated brains. And yet — and I include myself in this — nobody, absolutely nobody, has managed to understand him.”
Hitchens rebuffed cynical readings of Francis’ papacy and intentions, especially since his pontificate was, at times, “the opposite of cynical: above all, when the pope has returned to his great theme of ‘the throwaway society,’ his lonely stand against a global system which, from the sweatshops to the euthanasia clinics, treats the vulnerable not as the image of Christ but as useless trash. That magnificent critique will be one of his most significant legacies.”
World leaders celebrated Pope Francis’ life and impact.
Argentina President Javier Milei
wrote, “Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor for me. As President, as an Argentine, and, fundamentally, as a man of faith, I bid farewell to the Holy Father and stand with all of us who are today dealing with this sad news.”
‘May God rest his soul.’
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said, “Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.”
Pierre Poilievre, head of the Canadian Conservative Party,
stated, “His humility, compassion, and steadfast faith had a profound impact on millions of Canadians and others around the world from every faith background.”
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
said in a statement, “Pope Francis’ love for humanity was powerful and profound. The memory and example of his compassion will long endure.”
“I was happy to see him yesterday,”
wrote Vice President Vance. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”
“Pope Francis will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. “He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. He has also taken advantage of the present Jubilee to call us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always.”
In his first address as Roman pontiff, Francis
stated:
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. My hope is that this journey of the Church that we begin today, together with help of my Cardinal Vicar, be fruitful for the evangelization of this beautiful city. And now I would like to give the blessing, but first I want to ask you a favor. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you would pray to the Lord to bless me — the prayer of the people for their Bishop.
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