Pope Francis
It was with great sadness that we mourned the death of Pope Francis, and, at the same time, celebrated his life. Pope Francis was a true servant leader, carrying out his duties to the very end, greeting crowds in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. He led with love, care and humility.
He showed the world, not just Catholics, the importance of caring for our environment, God's creation, and reaching out to the marginalised and poor in society, living out the words and actions of Christ. From the beginning of his Pontificate, Pope Francis asked us to get our "hands dirty", to be people of action, not just words. In 2013, he said, “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
At the WYD 2023 in Lisbon, Pope Francis shared this prayer, with todos meaning everyone:
"God loves us as we are.
Not how we would like to be,
not how society wants us to be,
he loves us with the limits we have,
with the defects we have,
and with the desire we have
to keep moving forward in life."
Who is the Church for? Todos, todos, todos.
Say it out loud: Todos todos todos.
Who is loved by God? Todos Todos Todos.
Who is welcome in the Church: Todos todos todos."
Pope Francis was a pastor of mercy, and he worked tirelessly to make the Catholic church more inclusive.
He also promoted the importance of service, and at McAuley, we often use the following quote from Pope Francis - "Our life spreads light when it is given in service. The secret of joy is living to serve." Pope Francis lived his life in this way.
May he rest in peace
Here are some additional readings, interviews, and videos for your perusal:
In Praise of Pope Francis by Andrew Hamilton, SJ - Link
Articles from Jesuit Australia - jesuit.org.au
- Brisbane-based Fr Frank Brennan SJ paid tribute to the Pope on multiple media outlets, including this ‘Breaking News’ video clip on 9 News and this segment on ABC Listen.
- Sydney-based Fr Richard Leonard SJ spoke to Sabra Lane for this segment on ABC Listen.
- Melbourne-based Fr Chris Middleton SJ, Rector of Xavier College, spoke to Andy Park for this segment on the ABC’s ‘The World Today’.
- Sydney-based Fr David Braithwaite SJ was interviewed on camera for this ABC News segment on the life and legacy of Pope Francis, as well as this ‘Today Extra’ segment on Channel Nine.
- Superior General Fr Arturo Sosa SJ gives a tribute to Pope Francis.