On the early morning of April 21, 2025, the world lost a gentle shepherd, a voice of compassion, and a devoted servant of Christ. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away at the age of 88 in his residence at Casa Santa Marta, in the heart of Vatican City. His departure follows a life of tireless ministry and service, culminating in a pontificate that stirred souls and transformed hearts across the globe.
His passing, due to a stroke and subsequent irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse, brings to a close not just a papacy, but a profound witness to what it means to walk humbly with God. Though his physical presence has left this earth, his spiritual legacy resounds like a hymn of mercy, echoing through the halls of the Church and the corners of the world.
From the moment of his election in 2013, Pope Francis endeared himself to the faithful by choosing the name of the poverello, St. Francis of Assisi — a name that would come to define his path: a path of simplicity, peace, and love for the least among us. His pontificate was not one of grandeur, but of grace. He wore his white robes with the heart of a servant, often seen embracing the poor, washing the feet of prisoners, and speaking out for the voiceless. He brought the peripheries to the center of the Church.
As the first Jesuit Pope and the first from Latin America, he carried with him the wisdom of the Global South — a perspective that challenged the Church to look outward and downward, to the poor and forgotten, where he believed Christ was most clearly found. He reminded us all that the Church is a field hospital, not a fortress; that mercy must always come before judgment.
Even as age and illness began to weigh upon him, his spirit never waned. He spoke often of hope, forgiveness, and the joy of the Gospel. He called on the Church to be less concerned with doctrine and more with tenderness. In his own words, “Who am I to judge?” became a symbol of his pastoral heart, one that beat with the rhythm of Christ’s own love.
Now, as his body lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, and as preparations are made for his simple funeral — just as he requested — the faithful mourn not just a pope, but a spiritual father. Candles flicker, prayers rise like incense, and a quiet sadness settles upon the Church, which now looks heavenward.
But we do not mourn as those without hope. We believe, with every fiber of our faith, that Pope Francis has now heard the words he so longed to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matthew 25:21)
He has returned to the Father’s house — not in the papal robes, but clothed in the glory of the Risen Christ. May his soul rest in the eternal peace he so often preached, and may the Church he loved so deeply carry forward his mission of mercy.
Requiescat in pace, Papa Francisco.
Your flock will not forget you.