On April 21, 2025, the world mourned the loss of Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, whose papacy was marked by a profound commitment to compassion, synodality, and a transformative vision for a Church rooted in divine mercy and solidarity with the poor.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, he became the first Jesuit Pope and the first from the Americas when elected in 2013. His death marks the end of a papacy that reshaped the Church’s mission, calling it to embody the joy of the Gospel, foster social friendship, and care for our common home, the Earth.
A legacy of synodality
Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality— a process of communal discernment and inclusive decision-making—stands as one of his most enduring contributions. He envisioned a Church that listens, not only to its clergy but to the laity, the marginalised, and even those outside its fold.
His global synod on synodality launched in 2021 invited Catholics worldwide to participate in dialogues about the Church’s mission, fostering a culture of encounter and mutual respect. This synodal approach broke from hierarchical rigidity, encouraging bishops, priests, and laypeople to walk together as equals in faith as disciples of Christ in the Church.
Pope Francis often reminded the faithful that “synodality is what God expects of the Church in the third millennium.” His reforms, including the restructuring of the Roman Curia and the inclusion of lay voices that include women in Vatican governance, reflected his belief that the Holy Spirit speaks through the entire People of God. This legacy challenges the Church to remain open, dynamic, and responsive to the signs of the times.
A Church of mercy and the poor
From the moment he chose the name Francis, inspired by St Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis signalled his dedication to the poor and marginalised. His papacy was a clarion call for the Church to become a “Church of the poor, for the poor.” He lived this vision humbly, shunning the trappings of papal luxury and grandeur, residing in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta instead of the Apostolic Palace, cooking his own meals and embracing simplicity in his daily life.
Francis’ compassion was not abstract but deeply personal. He washed the feet of prisoners, refugees, and the disabled, dined with the homeless, and visited conflict zones to amplify the cries of the suffering. His 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), became a manifesto for a Church that goes to the peripheries, proclaiming mercy over judgment, power and control.
“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets,” he wrote, urging Catholics to live their discipleship by radically following Jesus.
His focus on mercy culminated in the 2015-2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, during which he opened “Doors of Mercy” worldwide and expanded access to the sacrament of reconciliation. He also instituted reforms to streamline marriage annulments, making the Church’s pastoral care more accessible to those in broken relationships. Francis’ insistence that “mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life” reshaped its pastoral approach, prioritising accompaniment over condemnation.
Social friendship and breaking down walls
Pope Francis’ vision extended beyond the Church to the world where he championed “social friendship” as a remedy for division and polarisation. In his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, he called for a culture of encounter, urging humanity to transcend borders, ideologies, and prejudices. Drawing from his interfaith dialogues, particularly with Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, he co-signed the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity, promoting peace and mutual respect among
religions.
Pope Francis was unafraid to address global injustices, condemning economic systems that prioritise profit over people and advocating for migrants and refugees. His visits to places like Lampedusa, Lesbos, and the US-Mexico border highlighted the plight of those fleeing violence and poverty. He taught that love is not self interest that begin with the family and extends out words in concentric circles. Such view of charity as beginning at home was used to justify hate politics that saw empathising with the refugees was suicidal. Christian love is not self-preserving but self-dying, he said and promoted the opening of the doors of the nation to strangers and refugees.
“Building walls means condemning oneself to death,” he declared, challenging nations to embrace solidarity over isolation. His outreach to Indigenous communities, including his 2022 apology for the Church’s role in Canada’s residential schools, modelled accountability and reconciliation.
Caring for our common home
Perhaps no aspect of Pope Francis’ legacy resonates as universally as his commitment to environmental stewardship. His 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ was a ground-breaking call to care for the Earth, which he described as “our common home”. Linking ecological degradation to social injustice, he argued that the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth are one.
The encyclical’s Gospel of Creation emphasised that the natural world reflects God’s love and demands our respect. Pope Francis’ environmental advocacy inspired global movements, from the Laudato Si’ Action Platforms to grassroots initiatives in parishes.
He integrated ecology into Catholic social teaching, declaring that caring for creation is a moral imperative. His tireless efforts to address climate change, including his addresses to world leaders at COP conferences, cemented his role as a moral voice on the global stage.
A lasting impact amid challenges
Pope Francis’ papacy was not without controversy. His reforms faced resistance from traditionalists who feared a dilution of doctrine, while progressives sometimes felt his changes did not go far enough. Yet, his ability to navigate these tensions with humility and prayer left an indelible mark on everyone. He remained a pastor at heart, calling the Church to be a “field hospital” for a wounded world.
As the Church mourns his passing, it is called to carry forward his vision: a synodal Church that listens, a merciful Church that embraces the poor, a joyful Church that lives the Gospel, and a prophetic Church that heals divisions and
safeguards creation.
Pope Francis’ legacy is a roadmap for a faith that is vibrant, inclusive, and deeply engaged with the world. His first words “Pray for me” to the faithful, often repeated over the years, echo now as we have laid him to rest: ‘I am praying for you’.
In this moment of grief, the world remembers a pope who walked with the lowly, spoke with courage, and loved with the heart of Christ. May his soul rest in the peace of the God he served so faithfully, and may his vision continue to inspire the Church and humanity to build a future of mercy, fraternity, and care for our common home.
(Fr Victor Ferrao is an independent researcher attached to St Francis Xavier Church, Borim, Ponda.)