Easter Tuesday 22 April 2025
A tribute to Pope Francis (1936 to 2025)
Archbishop Christopher Prowse
We mourn the death of our beloved Pope Francis on Easter Monday 21st April 2025. We offer our Masses and our prayers for the repose of his soul.
What a great gift Pope Francis has been as our Pope over these 12 years.
He has been a Pope of many firsts.
He is the first Pope (and there have been 266 Popes) who was a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
He was also the first Pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. He was the first Pope born and raised outside Europe since the 8th Century.
Finally, he is the first Pope to have chosen the name "Francis" as his Papal name.
Since his election as Pope on the 13th March 2013, Pope Francis has given so much hope to the Catholic Church and the world in general. He has been a Pope who has encouraged us to open ourselves more fully to the merciful love of Jesus. This is even reflected in his Papal Motto: "Lowly but chosen." We can certainly say that God has chosen, for our time and place, Pope Francis.
For me personally, it has been a Pontificate of beautiful humble and merciful images.
So many examples come to mind.
We will never forget the beautiful image of Pope Francis after his election as Pope returning to the hotel he was staying to pay his bill for his accommodation. He then decided to live in a house for priests rather than the Apostolic Palace.
I recall in his early days as Pope Francis stopping the Pope-mobile in St Peter's Square and embracing the deformed face of a man - Vinicio Riva. It was a symbolic image of the love of God embracing those who, in this case physically, are on the periphery of life.
Then of course we must not forget that for so much of his Pontificate there were two Popes present. His greeting of the retired Pope Benedict XVI, his predecessor, in retirement soon after Pope Francis's election in 2013 was history in the making.
There is another image that was so constant in his many unexpected travels around the world. His choice of a very humble car rather than some Limousine was always a good image. The other image was him constantly passing people with his hand outside the window blessing and waving to them. This image of his outstretched arm waving to people from his humble white car was a prophetic image of a Church living humbly and modestly.
Pope Francis interacted with the crowds in a very personal way. He would continually stop his Pope-mobile to embrace and bless children and the infirm. Quite often there were old friends invited into his vehicle or unexpected people going for a ride!
Another important image of healing was the washing of the feet of prisoners during Holy Week. His annual trip to wash the feet of prisoners was never to be taken for granted and was most unusual in such an annual pattern.
Personally, the Australian Bishops' meeting with Pope Francis over 90 minutes on 24th June 2019 in the Vatican was an unforgettable experience of my life. His nearness, kindness and pastoral wisdom was awe-inspiring.
Another image for us in more recent years was very significant. It was his interaction during the Synods on Synodality in Rome (2023-2024). There was the image of the Pope sitting around a circular table with everybody rather than on some high throne on a stage. His reorganisation of the Roman Curia and his total support for expressing Church life in a "synodal way" will be one of his lasting inheritances. This is symbolised in the conversations in round circles that he promoted and participated in personally.
When we talk generally to people about Pope Francis they inevitably describe his humility and informality. Others would comment on his great contribution to Inter-Religious Dialogue. Particularly his signing of the document on Human Fraternity (Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019) along with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, was a prophetic document in a world still so desperately trying to find peace among the world Religions.
Another landmark contribution was his advances in regard to the Catholic Church and its theology and practice of Ecology. The document, Laudato Si (2015) (and Fratelli Tutti 2020), has begun a major return of the Catholic Church back to its theological understanding of Ecology.
His support of popular movements within the Church and always arranging his timetables, national or international, to embrace the poorest of the poor will be remembered.
He always supported the youth, particularly in World Youth Days. In the World Youth Day in Portugal (2023) he insistence that we all repeat after him, "Everyone". This was quite monumental. Quite often being misunderstood and making him unpopular in some circles, he was always insisting that everyone is welcomed into the Church no matter what their situation.
He was unique in many respects. He did not write in the philosophical language of Pope St John Paul II nor equal the incredible international pilgrimages he made. Nor, really, were his writings as numerous and as profound theologically as his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. Nonetheless, his writings reflect a most personal sharing of his deep relationship with the Lord. He was always stressing the importance of evangelisation and our need to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
May his dear soul rest in peace.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God rest in peace. Amen!
Archbishop Christopher Prowse
Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
