Most of the world, Roman Catholic, non-Catholic, and even non-Christian, is in grief following the death of Pope Francis. He was a rare spirit, a person of singular wisdom, empathy, and commitment to justice for all because God loves all. He was a prophet in the biblical sense of the word. You know, of course, that in Hebrew Scripture a prophet was not a fortune teller. Instead, the biblical definition of “prophet” is “one who spoke truth to power.” Francis did that consistently, never cowering before leaders of any international governments. That was because he represented One far more powerful and permanent than they are.
In this blog, I’d like to recall with you only a handful of Pope Francis’ lengthy legacy of memorable quotes. These, to me at least, capture his spirit and, if we have ears to hear, should inspire our own. I list them in no particular order.
“The world tells us to seek success, power, and money; God tells us to seek humility, service, and love.”
“To change the world, we must be good to those who cannot repay us.”
“You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. That’s how prayer works.”
“Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, `I feel so low that instead of picking myself up, I try to cut others down’.”
“Let us learn to live with kindness (and) to love everyone, even when they do not love us.”
“Human dignity is the same for all human beings. When I trample upon the dignity of another, I am trampling upon my own.”
“Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcome, loved, and forgiven.”
“Each one of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting and not dividing, by extinguishing hatred and not holding onto it, by opening paths to dialogue and not constructing new walls.”
“Dear young people … Do not be afraid to dream of great things.”
“I ask you to ensure that humanity is served by wealth, not ruled by it.”
“Who am I to judge?”
“In the poor and outcast, we see Christ’s face; by loving and helping the poor, we love and serve Christ.”
“An authentic faith always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.”
“Whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we realize that He is already there, waiting for us with open arms.”
Beyond question, Pope Francis transmitted the right values and, thus, left the world better than he found it. I find the timing of his passing more than coincidental. He lived for one more Easter, made one more visit to the Basilica, pronounced one more blessing on the crowds that gathered before him that day, took one last ride among them, and posted one final Tweet: “Christ is risen! We were not made for death, but for life.” Then at the close of the Great Day that promises the Life he was talking about, he took a step toward Jesus and realized that He was already there, waiting for him with open arms.