Patrick, our director, on the death of Pope Francis
Date Published: 22 Apr 2025
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It is with profound sorrow that we learned of the death of Pope Francis yesterday, a true servant of God whose life and ministry have inspired the lives of Catholics and people of good faith across the globe. Here, our director Patrick O’Dowd reflects…
As we mourn Pope Francis’s loss, we take comfort in the words of Jesus Christ, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). As a faithful missionary disciple of the Lord, Pope Francis embodied this beatitude through his deep compassion, mercy and commitment to the dignity of every human being.
Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has consistently highlighted the innate worth of every person, reminding us that each individual is created in the image and likeness of God.
His priority for people experiencing poverty, the marginalised and those forced to leave their homes as refugees was a reflection of his dedication to the gospel and an unyielding pursuit of justice. As he once shared, “The Church is not a customs office, but a place where mercy is given freely.” His message of mercy was a call to each of us to reflect God’s love in our interactions with others, particularly those most in need.
Pope Francis’s teachings on mercy were not just words but actions. He continually reminded us of the importance of “going to the peripheries”—seeking out the forgotten, the oppressed and those in experiencing despair. His witness to God’s infinite mercy, compassion and forgiveness was a beacon of light in a world so often marked by division and hardship.
In his encyclical Laudato Si’ Pope Francis brought to the forefront the urgent need to care for our common home. He called on all of us to recognise the climate crisis not only as an environmental issue but as a moral, social and spiritual one. He urged us to see that our responsibility to protect the Earth is a reflection of our duty to one another and to God. His vision was of a world where we live in harmony with God’s creation, where the cry of the earth and the cry of those experiencing poverty are heard together.
As we remember Pope Francis in prayer, we ask the Lord to grant him eternal rest. We thank God for the example of Pope Francis and pray that his legacy of love, justice and mercy will continue to inspire us. As he rests in the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father, we hold fast to his call to build a more just and compassionate world for all of God’s children.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
“By welcoming a marginalised person whose body is wounded and by welcoming the sinner whose soul is wounded, we put our credibility as Christians on the line. Let us always remember the words of Saint John of the Cross: “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”
― Pope Francis, The Name of God Is Mercy