No other person has touched so many people’s lives as Papa Francesco has done…
Pope Francis passed away at the Vatican on April 21st, after leading the Catholic faithful since March 2013. His election as the Pope was characterized by many first time occurrences for the Catholic Church, and for the World’s People of faith and honor.
First time tradition breaking things, such as the fact that he was the first man from outside of Europe to become the Pope in more than 1,200 years.
He was the first Supreme Pontiff from South America.
He was the first member of the Christian Order of strict Jesuits, to preside over all others, as the Bishop of Rome — the Vatican Pope, siting at the throne of St Peter.
As head of the Holy See, Francis broke much new ground, and his leadership represented a significant shift in the office itself, focusing on bridging the widening gap between the elite administration of the Catholic Church and its flock.
He also corrected many wrongs, he apologized for past errors of the church and its people, and he pioneered many new approaches to long-held Catholic traditions and practices.
His stance on recognizing New Talent, sufficiently promoting the renegades and giving voice to the voiceless, by establishing a strong Meritocracy in this ancient institution, is one of the most commendable management acts of any Pope in history, and indeed any Leader worth his salt.
But let us now find out where did this gentle Pope come from and how it was his origins that dictated his Life and his pursuits…
Francis’s upbringing, training, and practical experience set the foundation for his path through the church hierarchy. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the future pontiff was a trained chemical technician. When a young man, he became afflicted with a life-threatening pulmonary illness that led to a partial lung removal. But it was after Bergoglio went to confession as a high school student that he received a call to serve God.
Formally ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969, Bergoglio studied theology in his native Argentina before undertaking spiritual training in Spain.
Once back in Argentina he made his final vow to the Jesuit order on April 22, 1973, and became the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus soon after. During the 1980s and 1990s Bergoglio served as rector of his alma mater, Facultades de Filosofía y Teología de San Miguel, traveled abroad to continue his own education, and held numerous positions within the institutional church. In 1998 he became archbishop of Buenos Aires, and he was appointed cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Francis was always a proponent of Human Solidarity, Loving Kindness, and Simple Living.
Throughout his career Bergoglio emphasized social justice, community engagement, and solidarity among Christians and non-Christians alike. He rejected anything resembling extravagance—for instance, opting for public transportation and modest living arrangements, instead of the more elaborate apartments inhabited by his predecessors. His tireless work in the poorest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and even in the “Refugio” the refuge collector’s district, earned him the moniker “slum bishop.”
As a Leader, Pope Francis had his own unique style…
In 2001 Bergoglio was launched into the global spotlight after the Synod of Bishops when he stepped in to serve as relator general. In that position, Bergoglio was tasked with delivering the keynote address and overseeing the texts written on the outcome of the gathering, which often serves as a guide for matters of the church. Bergoglio demonstrated skill and grace at the proceedings after the attacks of September 11 — so much so, that it ultimately led to talk of his elevation to the papacy after the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005. But it wasn’t until eight years later, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, that on March 13, 2013, the College of Cardinals elected Bergoglio as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
Father Giorgio Bergoglio, Cardinal and Archbishop of Argentina and Buenos Aires, respectively — entered the papal seat at the age of 76, choosing Francis as his pontifical name, in honor of St Francis of Assisi. Bergoglio later explained that as the votes of the conclave were counted, his mind turned to the 13th-century Saint: “For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.”
Pope Francis’s missives, communiqués, and official decrees demonstrated his desire to modernize the church and overhaul a Vatican scarred by scandal. His four encyclicals (letters regarding church teachings addressed to all bishops) outlined his focuses on faith and salvation, the relationship between the environment and religion, the need for cooperation among all humans worldwide, and a call for rediscovering the importance of the heart.
Francis soon became a “Rock Star” to many, followed by millions online and greeted at events by hundreds of thousands of the faithful, bunched in tightly packed crowds and eager for selfies.
Pope Francis’s inspiring life…
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis was elected on March 13, 2013, to replace Benedict XVI as leader of the world’s 1.2 billon Catholics. Along his path to the papacy, he served as Argentina’s cardinal during the difficult years of the Junta…
Pope Francis placed a great deal of emphasis on Respect for All Humanity, for the Environment, and for God’s commands to his people…
Within the Vatican itself Pope Francis worked to diversify the College of Cardinals in an effort to move away from a body composed primarily of Europeans. However, Francis was immune to neither controversy nor criticism, notably being thrust into the ongoing sex abuse scandal in the church. He garnered headlines of both praise and divisiveness for his comments on homosexuality and same-sex unions and the practice of surrogacy, his role in elevating women within the church, and his less rigid stance on divorce and contraception, among other topics.
Throughout his papacy Pope Francis emphasized respect for the laity and sought to empower ordinary people everywhere by simplifying the messaging of the church. He endeavored to bring compassion and reconciliation to the forefront of the church’s priorities, and believed in open discussion to foster spiritual and clerical thought. Francis will be remembered for not only reshaping the institution as a whole but also for his unwavering dedication to Catholic faith and community and his unprecedented look to the future in an ever changing world.
Pope Francis I’s successor, the 267th head of the Holy See, will be voted on by the College of Cardinals following the period of Papal Interregnum.
That is when the “Conclavium” will be held in order to select the Successor to this Great Pope who lived and led the Faithful focused on the life of St Francis and imitating his many virtues, but especially the simple human kindness for all others.
My personal experiences with the Pope and his allowing me to serve is some small way for his life, and Health — are sufficiently moving, to last me a lifetime.
Although he was deathly ill — he still wanted to serve for one last Easter, and in that great Mystery of Faith, he accomplished his Last triumph.
He served.
He offered the last great “homily” of his multifaceted life in service to God, the very day of Easter that he saw fit to return to his Creator who he served with his eternal light undiminished by the passage of his time on this bountiful Earth.
That was his strength of character.
A human being alone, at the helm of the largest Organization on Earth, offering up his Heart & his Soul in service to his Constituency.
What a Man…
A Great Leader, so much so, that he forced his remaining strength to accomplish the Mystery of Faith, one last time, in the Paschal lamb recognition of Pesach, the Christian Easter tradition, in his faithful mission to help the Christian Faith be reborn once again, in the life of this world, in the life of peace, and inside the hearts of all the people – in this Season of Rebirth and our Life beyond.
He accomplished his duty and then he left his body for the Resurrection of the Soul.
Honor & maximum respect is earned in that simple way and he surely deserves the award of FRANCIS the GREAT, more than anyone else as a simple gifted Human Being, living, leading, and serving in this World, amongst all of us, even amongst most all of the ones who came before him, as he is also the benchmark of Leadership for all of us, especially for all those People who came into this world after Papa Francesco and his humble, divine Ministry, made life a little softer, gentler, and a little bit more kind – as only a great person can do for all the rest of us.
May the Good God rest his soul, for his body has already been laid to rest, and may this Easter rebirth, allow all of us to stand as witness, for the resurrection on the third day, as is written, up above.
Thank You Francis.
Yours,
Dr Churchill
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