We all hold deeply rooted cherished memories of Pope Francis most especially of his pastoral visit to Philadelphia nearly a decade ago. His affable manner and gentle spirit was so warmly received by so many. Pope Francis opened the hearts of the faithful to the beauty of the Paschal Mystery and invited us to bear witness to Christ in every encounter.
Pope Francis reached to the peripheries of society allowing all individuals to embrace their God given dignity and to see within themselves the image of Christ and the light of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis was devoted to the image of the Blessed Mother as the “Undoer of Knots.” He urged the faithful to bring their concerns, difficulties, trials, and unrelenting suffering to Our Lady for her to undo the knots that bind and wound.
Pope Francis respected the gift of God’s Creation and he offered two works:
“Laudato Si” in 2015 and “Laudate Deum” in 2023. Both reflect on the great gift of creation that has been entrusted to us and the responsibility of people of every generation to uphold its integrity.
The Vatican website provides an archive of his extensive homilies, Apostolic Letters, and messages from his Wednesday Audiences. This archive offers quite the treasure trove of his spiritual, doctrinal understanding, and extensive knowledge of Sacred Scripture and the nuances of Scripture that he would share with us.
Pope Francis initiated the Year of Mercy in 2016 as an acknowledgment of the extensive Catholic Social Thought of his papal predecessors. Our current Jubilee of Hope builds upon our trust in the Promise of God and the beauty of the Resurrection and life everlasting. The Jubilee covers every aspect of Catholic life and invites all to marvel at the wonders of God and his Theological Virtue of Hope.
The phrase – Francis, our Pope has been removed from the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass since the seat of Peter, which he held for twelve years, is currently vacant. We pray for the College of Cardinals, as they soon gather for the Conclave to select our next pope, to be open to the promptings and will of the Holy Spirit.
The following prayer by Pope Francis, reflecting on the Way of the Cross, beautiful summarizes his papacy and his legacy. May he rest in peace.
Way of the Cross
Lord Jesus, help us to see in your Cross all the crosses of the world:
the cross of people hungry for bread and for love;
the cross of people alone and abandoned even by their children and kin;
the cross of people thirsty for justice and for peace;
the cross of people who lack the comfort of faith;
the cross of the elderly who struggle under the weight of years and of loneliness;
the cross of migrants who find doors closed in fear and hearts armored by political calculations;
the cross of little ones, wounded in their innocence and their purity;
the cross of humanity that wanders in the darkness of uncertainty and in the obscurity of temporary culture;
the cross of families split by betrayal, by the seductions of the evil one or by homicidal levity and selfishness;
the cross of consecrated people who tirelessly seek to bring your light into the world and feel rejected, derided and humiliated;
the cross of consecrated people who, along the way, have forgotten their first love;
the cross of your children who, while believing in you and seeking to live according to your word, find themselves marginalized and rejected even by their families and their peers;
the cross of our weaknesses, of our hypocrisy, of our betrayals, of our sins and of our many broken promises;
the cross of your Church that, faithful to your Gospel, struggles to spread your love even among the baptized themselves;
the cross of the Church, your Bride, that feels constantly assailed from within and without;
the cross of our common home that is gravely withering before our selfish eyes, blinded by greed and by power.
Lord Jesus, revive in us the hope of resurrection and of your definitive victory over all evil and all death. Amen.
O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favorably on your servant Francis,
whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;
grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.