Making peace requires courage—courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict; yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiation and no to hostility; yes to fidelity to agreements and no to provocation; yes to truthfulness and no to duplicity – His Holiness Pope Francis
Like a bolt from the blue, on the morning of Monday, 21st April, at 7:35 a.m., we received the sudden news that Pope Francis had completed his earthly pilgrimage. Although we were aware of his illness and fragility, nothing until the day before had suggested such a sudden and unexpected outcome.
On 13ᵗʰ March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected to the See of Peter, becoming the 266ᵗʰ successor to the Apostle. He was the first Jesuit Pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to take the name Francis, inspired by the Poor Man of Assisi. He was also the first Pontiff in modern times elected following the resignation of his predecessor.
Pope Francis immediately revealed a style marked by simplicity and essentiality. On 14ᵗʰ March, the day after his election, he made a private pilgrimage to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pray before the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani. This gesture of devotion would be repeated over a hundred times during his twelve-year pontificate, particularly before and after every apostolic journey.
His profound attachment to this sanctuary, also cherished during his time as a Jesuit, led him to choose it as his final resting place, breaking with the centuries-old tradition of papal burial in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
In November 2013, just months after his election, he published the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, a true “programmatic manifesto” for his pontificate, calling for a new evangelisation marked by joy and a comprehensive reform of ecclesial structures. To this end, he established a Council of Cardinals to assist in the governance of the Universal Church, culminating on 19ᵗʰ March 2022 with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which reorganised the Roman Curia.
He also reformed the canonical process for declarations of marriage nullity and reinforced measures against clerical abuse of minors and vulnerable persons. His commitment extended beyond words: through the Motu Proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi, he introduced concrete structures of accountability and protection.
Throughout his ministry, he tirelessly promoted dialogue with Muslims and representatives of other religions, culminating in historic agreements such as the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together
Pope Francis devoted particular attention to the family, convening an Extraordinary Synod and issuing the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. In his view, the dominant individualism of modern society gravely threatened the rights of families, especially concerning the moral and religious education of children.
While upholding the beauty and centrality of the family, he acknowledged with realism the fragility experienced by many, encouraging pastoral accompaniment and paternal closeness, especially for those who were divorced and remarried.
Throughout his ministry, he tirelessly promoted dialogue with Muslims and representatives of other faiths, culminating in historic agreements such as the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed in Abu Dhabi on 4th February 2019 with the Sunni Grand Imam al-Tayyeb. This milestone fostered mutual respect and categorically condemned all forms of violence and terrorism.
Equally unwavering was his commitment to Christian unity. In a profound gesture, he presented fragments of Saint Peter’s relics to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople during the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, affirming in a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew the Church’s journey towards ever-closer communion—an often arduous path, yet one graced by divine signs.
On 12th February 2016, en route to Mexico, he stopped in Cuba to meet Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, signing a joint declaration pledging cooperation on global challenges: halting the persecution of Christians, fostering interreligious dialogue, defending migrants and refugees, and upholding life and family.
Pope Francis was deeply moved by the suffering caused by war, particularly the conflicts between Israel and Palestine, and between Russia and Ukraine. He worked personally to foster genuine understanding and peace, constantly reaffirming: “Making peace requires courage—courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict; yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiation and no to hostility; yes to fidelity to agreements and no to provocation; yes to truthfulness and no to duplicity.”
Promoting a “culture of encounter” and building bridges free from prejudice were central to his diplomacy of peace. His commitment was further reflected in the Holy See’s signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations on 20th September 2017, affirming that “nuclear weapons are based on a logic of fear that affects not only the warring parties but the entire human race.”
Care for Creation and the call to ecological conversion were defining features of his pontificate. In the Encyclical Laudato Si’, he offered a vision of “integral ecology,” interweaving concern for nature, justice for the poor, social commitment and interior peace. He instituted the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated ecumenically, urging Christians towards true ecological conversion and responsible stewardship of God’s creation. These themes were expanded in the Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia, outlining new paths for evangelisation and ecological responsibility.
In a profound gesture, he presented fragments of Saint Peter’s relics to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople during the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, affirming, in a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew, the Church’s journey towards ever-closer communion
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Pope Francis remained a steady spiritual presence. His Statio Orbis of 27th March—an unforgettable image of the solitary Pontiff praying in a rain-swept, deserted Saint Peter’s Square—reminded the world that “this is a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to realign our lives towards the Lord and toward others.”
In this same spirit, he presented the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, signed at the tomb of Saint Francis in Assisi, advocating fraternity, social friendship and global solidarity. Once more, he condemned conflict and called on all people to work together in building a better world.
No Pope before him expanded the College of Cardinals to such a degree: in ten consistories, he created 163 cardinals from 73 countries—23 of which had never had a cardinal—of whom 133 are currently eligible to vote in a conclave.
His pontificate—though not extended in years—was intense and transformative. Space does not allow for a complete enumeration of his achievements.
Nonetheless, it is worth recalling his 47 apostolic journeys to 66 countries, and 40 pastoral visits within Italy, covering 49 cities. His missionary zeal is well captured in the words spoken at his funeral: “It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island symbolising the tragedy of migration with its countless drownings at sea. In the same spirit were his visits to Lesbos, alongside the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, and the Mass he celebrated on the Mexico–U.S. border. Particularly memorable was his 2021 journey to Iraq, undertaken against all odds. That difficult Apostolic Visit brought healing to a wounded people and greatly contributed to interreligious dialogue. His 2024 journey to four nations in Asia-Oceania reached what he called ‘the furthest peripheries of the world.’ He celebrated two Jubilees: the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 and the Holy Year inaugurated on Christmas Night 2024. And yet, beyond the public dimension, there remains the deeper, more hidden side of his life: his intimate and constant dialogue with the Lord, the silent spark of holiness that defies full human comprehension.
As believers, lifting our hearts and eyes to heaven, we may say, borrowing the words of a Spanish hymn: “Death is not the end of the journey… and we trust in Christ’s promise, that He has already restored Pope Francis to life and brought him into the light.”
Such reflections must not remain mere remembrance. They call us forward. In this spirit, the words of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, former Vicar of Rome and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, are especially fitting. He recently stated: “The legacy of Pope Francis is a profound question that challenges and shakes the Church,” and he expressed “four hopes for the Church of the future: that it be good and charitable, doctrinally sound, governed by law, and deeply united.”
This wise aspiration must be embraced by all—believers and non-believers alike—who sincerely seek the good, recognising that in the Church’s pilgrimage through history, there is always continuity, even as it remains ever attuned to the signs of the times.