Loving Thoughts about the World’s Pope
- maureenmontague
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Pope Francis was laid to rest this past weekend, and billions of people grieve. Our venerable pontiff was a humble and extraordinary pastor for the Catholic people, and a world moral leader. I have observed in the public acknowledgments of his service how much the Pope’s global ministry spoke to non-Catholics and Catholics alike.
The World’s Pope came to represent justice, love, and concern for the needy. Our aching sadness for the Pope’s passing gives me hope because we grieve what we value. Billions of people are grieving the Pope’s holy, loving heart.
I have experienced this global grief in my community many times over the last ten days. One example was when I was on the elevator with another staff person who is an elder in his LDS community. He shared his condolences, saying that he respected and admired the Pope’s kindness and generosity. The staffer guessed that I would be grieving because I am a Catholic Chaplain, but he also grieved the loss of an extraordinary religious leader. Across the porous lines of denomination and sect there lives a powerful shared desire for goodness, and we welcome it wherever we find it.
Across all boundaries of religion, politics, and geography, humanity shares the experience of grief and loss of an uncompromisingly honest leader in a time when truthfulness on the global stage is a rarity. Being an honest leader anywhere for any group is a bold choice. Pope Francis showed us that vulnerability is not weakness, and humility is a strength. Pope Francis demonstrated how spiritual practice, charity, and love bring about a fairer world- a world that most of us want to live in.
The World’s Pope spoke truth to power, defended the defenseless, and chastised the corruption of the ultra-wealthy power-elite. Pope Francis showed us what it looks like to be a holy person in the 21st century. It looks a lot like it did 2,000 years ago.
God support the Conclave who will be assembling soon to find the one who will take up that moral/ethical/spiritual space vacated by Pope Francis. Who could captivate the moral imagination of the world like he did? A righteous pope will be elected, but a great person with humor and humility is hard to find.
Pope Francis held sacred space for 1.4 billion Catholics for 12 years. What’s more, he held ethical space, encouraging tolerance, love, and mercy for millions of non-Catholics, too. He became the pontiff at the age of 76, and used the last twelve years of his life to change the world. Pope Francis demonstrated the Good News of Love and Redemption are eternal.
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