Pope Francis will be remembered with love, kindness, joy and compassion

The legacy of Pope Francis is plain and simple, he lived a life of faith, hope and love. It was borne out beautifully one day last week when Rev Suzanne Cousins, Rector of Holy Trinity Church, along with some of her parishioners, joined St Mary’s Church parishioners for Mass to remember Pope Francis. That action spoke volumes about ecumenism in Westport but also about the respect that Pope Francis enjoyed.

He would be the first to say that he lived his life within the confines of his humanity, meaning he never saw himself as a saint. While our beloved Church has a penchant for declaring saints, there’s no need for Francis to join the club. Suffice to say his life among us was witness enough for most people. It was full of mercy.

Since his election as Pope in 2013 Francis has done more than most to dumb down the daftness associated with his position. Dispensing with the pomp and ceremony, the frills and lace, he was a radical, bringing people back to the roots of his role, primarily as Bishop of Rome. He wanted people to have a relationship with a living God and not rely on customs.

After his election, his first request was to ask those gathered in St Peter’s Square to pray for him. This was bookended with his final visit to meet the people on Easter Sunday in St Peter’s Square, less than 24 hours before he died.

His hardest job was to deal with clericalism, a deeply ingrained poison among some clerics who see themselves as entitled, the ones who get excited about themselves. There was a vibrant brood for years in Rome who made his job difficult. He abhorred any expression of clerical egos.

Among his many gifts was his love for the poor and migrants, bringing a group of Syrian refugees to Rome where he ensured they were properly cared for. His Laudato Si’ encyclical on care for the environment and people was ground-breaking. Much of the work on the encyclical was done by Irish Columban, Seán McDonagh.

When asked about the Church and LGBTQ+ he simply retorted, ‘Who am I to judge?’ This simple act of gentleness and kindness was an assurance to gay people. He wanted believers to go out into the ‘field hospital’ and offer healing and compassion to people, not judgement and harshness. He asked priests to be gentle and kind, especially when dealing with people in second relationships.

Speaking to The Journal, abuse survivor Marie Collins, said: “I think Francis made efforts in the right direction, he had the right attitude, and he did believe survivors. He talked about abusers and abusing priests as being criminal, which we hadn’t had before. We maybe forget that he did say and do things like that that did make a difference. Maybe he didn’t do enough, and maybe he could have done more, but we could easily get someone in to replace him who will move things back, not forward.”

Among his greatest legacy will be Synodality – the turning on its head of the notion of the hierarchical church. Francis wanted the People of God at the top, not himself. He maintained we all share the sacrament of baptism, the great equaliser. That was the central message of Vatican Two which was supposed to have blown a great wind of change through church corridors in the early 1960s.

Unfortunately, that change was bottled and corked for years until Francis released its effervescence. It has been bubbling over church life for the past few years, none more so than in Killala diocese where 64 people were recently commissioned as lay leaders. In essence, all Francis was saying was that the Synodal Pathway is Vatican Two for slow learners, even if doubters remain.

Pope Francis will be remembered with love, kindness, joy and compassion, the very gifts he extended to others. May his message of peace be acted upon by those in power. And may he enjoy deep peace in the fullness of spirit.

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.