On Pope Francis

"We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time, important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other."

These words were proclaimed by Pope Francis in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, way back in 2020.   They capture, for me, the compassionate heart of this good and faithful shepherd of the Roman Catholic Church and heir to the ministry of Saint Peter who died last month. 

I was a big fan of his, personally.  As the first Jesuit pope, Francis was formed deeply in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.  (And you know how I feel about Ignatius and the Jesuits!) 

As pope, Francis preached attention to and care for the poor, the suffering and the marginalized - particularly refugees and migrants.  He urged peace among the nations and preached that in pursuing war, we are defeated.   He reminded us of our duty as Christians to care for this good earth that God has entrusted to our stewardship.   He took seriously the social dimension of the Gospel while also believing firmly in the real activity of both the Evil One and the Holy Spirit in the world today.  In his preaching and his living, he reminded us of our everyday calling to be merciful and loving, joyful and hopeful people, even in the face of injustice, suffering, evil, and death.

In an interview with CBS, Pope Francis was asked what gives him hope.   He answered,

"Everything. You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things. You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead. And people are fundamentally GOOD. We are all fundamentally good. Sometimes we are a little mischievous, sinners, but the heart is good."

O God, we give you thanks for the life of your beloved servant, Francis. Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Adam Spencer, Rector