Francis: A Pope for all Seasons

March 13, 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio emerged on the Vatican balcony as Pope Francis with his simple white robes and zucchetto, few would have predicted that he would become a global icon who would wear many hats: Christ-gazer, champion of the poor, church reformist, friend of the youth and broken families, bridge-builder, protector of nature, peacemaker and many more. Let us briefly examine his life, beginning with the basics.

The Pilgrim Man of God and Christ-Gazer

The image of ‘pilgrim’ characterizes Pope Francis best. Belonging to an immigrant family himself, he always identified with migrants and refugees, reminding us that life is a journey, a pilgrimage, and hence the need to ‘go forth’ and ever ‘be on the move’. His, however, was not touristic or aimless wandering, but purposeful encounters with all peoples and situations.

Pope Francis bravely faced life’s challenges precisely because he was rooted and grounded in Christ. In a recent interview, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa, said pointedly: “Francis was a man of God.” His sights were firmly focused on Christ. “Gaze at Christ, and let Christ gaze at you,” Pope Francis said in his homilies, exhorting Christians to remain rooted to the Divine Centre. All else overflowed from this Centre.

Ever Poor, Simple and ‘With the Smell of Sheep’

Even before he became pope, Bergoglio was known for his earthiness, simplicity and love for the ordinary things of life. In his youth, he enjoyed football, the tango and befriending others. As priest, bishop and cardinal, he continued his simple lifestyle: cooking his own meals, travelling by public transport, visiting the needy and being one with his flock as “a shepherd with the smell of the sheep.”

Pope Francis stood out as a defender of the poor and desired that the church not only be ‘for the poor’ but poor itself. Assuming the name ‘Francis’ after the 13th century mystic, il poverello of Assisi, Bergoglio embraced the poor, prisoners, homeless, refugees, destitutes, indigenous peoples and LGBTQ+ as no other pope before him and championed their causes.

Joyful Friend of Youth and Married Couples

“Have the courage to be truly happy,” said Pope Francis; for, anyone who is Jesus’ friend must joyfully proclaim Christ’s gospel—good news—not only in one’s words but in one’s whole life. One hears echoes of this evangelical joy in so many of his documents: Evangelii Gaudium: Joy of the Gospel; Laudato Si: Praise Be! Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Loving; Veritatis Gaudium: The Joy of Truth; Gaudete et Exsultate: Rejoice and be Glad; Laudate Deum: Praise God! Words like joy, happiness, praise, exult abound in his writings.

Knowing that youth are the lifeline of mother church, Francis especially fired their imagination. He attracted thousands at the World Youth Days at Rio de Janeiro (2013), Kraków (2016), Panama City (2019) and Lisbon (2023). In Christus Vivit (no.143), he writes: “[Youth], don’t go through life anesthetized or approach the world like tourists. Make a ruckus! Cast out the fears that paralyze you…. Live! Give yourselves over to the best of life! Open the door of the cage, go out and fly!”

Another group close to the heart of Pope Francis was married couples—especially those in irregular unions. Encouraging them to seek nourishment in Holy Communion, he wrote in Amoris Laetitia: “The way of the church is not to condemn anyone forever; it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart.” For this, Francis garnered the ire of four senior cardinals who pointed out some dubia— Latin, for ‘doubts’—and accused him of creating controversy and heresy in the church.

The Bridge-Builder and Breaker of Walls

‘Dialogue’ is the hallmark of Pope Francis’ mission. He sought to dialogue with all peoples beyond the confines of creed, class, colour, country and continent. His constant exhortation to the church and Christians to ‘go forth’ always aimed at breaking walls and building bridges.

In February 2016, when presidential candidate Donald Trump boasted of constructing a huge wall at the Mexican-US border to block refugees and accused the pope of being ‘political’, Francis commented: “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”

Pope Francis ventured to dialogue with indigenous Amazonians and drew up a heartwarming Querida Amazonia post-synodal exhortation (2020) which poetically and poignantly highlighted four dreams—social, cultural, ecological and ecclesial—for the people of this region.

Journeying with All God’s Children: Fratelli Tutti, Sorelle Tutte

Seeing life as a yatra (Sanskrit for pilgrimage), the Rig-Vedic verse (a sacred text of Hinduism), “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti”—meaning, “Truth is one, the wise call it by many names”—found resonance in Pope Francis’ worldview. He said, “All religions are a path to reach God …. There is only one God, and our religions are languages, paths to reach God. Some are Muslims, Hindus, Christians; they are different ways to God.”

Beyond religious beliefs, Francis saw all the world’s women and men as members of God’s Family, all sisters and brothers, each with the potential of being a Good Samaritan to all others. Fratelli Tutti, his 2020 encyclical on fraternity and social friendship, issued a clarion call to the world’s citizens to reject the ‘globalization of indifference’ and the throwaway culture in order to embrace everyone with unconditional love and selfless service.

Pope Francis experienced love as a revolutionary force. In a rare TED talk, he spoke of all people having the potential to be ‘revolutionaries of tender love’. He explained that ‘I’ could move out to befriend and love ‘You’. Then, ‘You’ and ‘I’ can form a ‘We’ and move out to love and serve others. With the snowballing of many ‘We’s, we create ripples of love that can trigger a true revolution.

Prophetic, Peacemaker of the World

Despite his age and indifferent health, Pope Francis journeyed through forty-seven countries, many of them war zones, proclaiming a message of peace and harmony. Among the many speeches and events that marked these trips, one stands out strikingly: Pope Francis bending down to kiss the feet of warring South Sudanese leaders. He said to them, “I ask you as a brother: stay in peace … I am asking you with my heart. Let us go forward. There will be many problems but they will not overcome us. Go ahead, go forward, and resolve the problems.”

On the one hand, whether it be a Trump or Vance, Putin or Zelensky Pope Francis had the courage to voice his opinion and call for peace; and, on the other hand, till his last days, he phoned Muslims and Christians sheltered in a rundown church in Gaza to assure them that he stood with them.

Green Pope in Synodal Mode

One can call Francis a ‘green pope’ since his embrace reached out to include mother earth, our common home. Laudato Si and Laudate Deum are regarded as landmark documents that show an inseparable link between ‘the cry of the earth’ (ecology) and ‘the cry of the poor’ (economics).

As climax of his ministry, Pope Francis set the church in synodal motion—exhorting all Christians to ‘journey together’ with all peoples, worldwide. It is providential that this ‘pilgrim of hope’ should pass into the arms of his Heavenly Father on Easter Monday, leaving his legacy enshrined in our hearts as we too journey towards where he now is. Rest in peace, pope for all seasons: Franciscus!

(Francis Gonsalves, SJ, a Jesuit of the Gujarat Province in western India, is a professor of theology at Jnana Deepa Pontifical Athanaeum of Philosophy and Theology, Pune. He holds a doctorate in systematic theology and contributes articles to various journals both in India and abroad)