The last few months, in which Pope Francis has been dangerously sick, should have prepared us for his passing. Nevertheless, the news of his death on Monday morning still came as a shock to many.
For Christians, who have been marking the festivals of Holy Week, it is especially poignant.
We have just celebrated Easter Sunday with the focus on new life and resurrection. Wasn’t Francis’ death out of step with that message? Of course, the very opposite is true. Francis dying as Christians were celebrating the Resurrection is a reminder that Christians should always be focused, not just on the life on this earth, but also on the life to come.
In this, Francis’ death mirrored John Paul II who, in 2005, also died just a few days after Easter Sunday. The use of impactful symbolism was something that links the papacies of Francis and John Paul, even if in so many ways they were different. They both understood that, in the world of modern media, their gestures would have a greater impact than their words.
Thus, in the wake of the clerical abuse scandal, Francis realised that, whatever words of apology were offered, nothing would show his desire for reparation better than his willingness to meet face to face with people who had been abused by priests. That while his public writings about reaching out to other faiths were important, it was his visits to a number of Muslim-majority countries (UAE, Indonesia, Iraq, Bangladesh and Morocco) and to Israel that showed how important such reconciliation was to him.
That it mattered that he used words that welcomed LGBTQI people instead of condemning them, but the sight of him hugging an openly gay couple was even more significant.
Also like John Paul, but perhaps in contrast to his predecessor Pope Benedict, Francis had an ability to reach beyond the Catholic (or even the Christian world) to the full breadth of modern society. He was able to speak a language that was at the same time both political and spiritual. In just the last few months, when so many world leaders have been trying to ingratiate themselves with President Trump, Francis has been one of the few important voices to "speak truth to power" and not bow down to Trump’s bullying or threats.
In the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Francis has placed himself repeatedly on the side of those who are suffering and neglected, even when it has not seemed politically expedient. One aspect of his papacy, which may have the longest legacy is his willingness to speak out on environmental issues. We are told that, when elected Pope, he chose the name Francis after the 13th century Saint of Assisi because he wanted to show his solidarity with the poor.
But St Francis is also seen as a champion of ecology and Pope Francis has proven himself wholly committed to this cause as well. He devoted a number of his public documents to the need for humans to take seriously our obligations to the planet. When politicians and business people shy away from asking us to change our behaviour, for fear of losing votes or losing business, Francis has demonstrated that religious leaders can play the role of focusing us on the longer perspective, to think about what kind of planet we pass on to future generations.
What has been striking about Francis in his time as Pope has been his ability to show us a different model of leadership. We saw this from just a few hours after his election when he went back to pay his hotel bill and then moved out of the palatial papal apartments into modest rooms.
Sadly, we still live in a world in which people are admired – politicians, celebrities, business leaders – not for who they are or what they have done for others, but for how they dress, what cars they drive or what homes they inhabit. Francis’ way of living has been a constant reminder that there is another more authentic model of leadership that can be pursued. It is a lesson still to be learnt by leaders in all sectors of society – including many religious leaders. In this, he was surprisingly unusual, though not unique.
I recall Ela Gandhi commenting how wonderful it was that Francis had shown his solidarity with the poor and had moved to more humble accommodation and then she added: “Of course, the Catholic Church could have had a Pope like that years ago; if only they had elected Denis Hurley as Pope!."
There were many areas in which Francis tried to nudge the Catholic Church towards change: in its attitude towards married priests, women in leadership, LGBTQI issues, capitalist economics, clericalism and accountability. He certainly did not achieve all that he might have wanted, but he was not afraid to try nor was he slow to appoint bishops and cardinals (and women!) who shared his worldview.
Fundamentally, it is a view that does not shy away from the modern world, but also is not overwhelmed by it. Rather it is courageous enough to draw out what is best about modernity and still challenge what needs to be challenged. 138 cardinals – including Stephen Brislin from Johannesburg, but excluding (because of age) Wilfrid Napier from Durban – will be convening in Rome in the next few weeks to elect Francis’ successor.
One-hundred-and-ten of those 138 were appointed by Francis, many of them from places that have never before had a Cardinal. When elected, Francis joked that Rome had reached out to the edge of the world to find a new bishop. He has made sure that a much wider swathe of the world will be represented when the next pope is elected.
We will have to wait and see if they elect someone, who will share his worldview and ensure that the Catholic Church continues to have a leader who will be fearless in being a voice for the voiceless. At the Denis Hurley Centre that is certainly our prayer.
Raymond Perrier is the director of the Denis Hurley Centre. Email [email protected]
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.