Mourning Pope Francis

As often happens with the death of someone, people go back into their own memories of a similar event that was part of their lives. For me, I am taken back to September 28, 1978, when I was a first-year student in Rome, studying for the priesthood. That morning, the faculty and seminarians woke up to the news that Pope John Paul I, who had been installed as our Holy Father only a month before, and brought a smile to the Church, had died of a heart attack during the night. We were shocked and saddened.

Today, with the news of the death of Pope Francis, we are not so much shocked, since he had been very ill, but we are certainly saddened at the loss of someone so vibrant, joyful, forward-looking, gentle and holy, who also brought a big smile to so many of us in the Church. He made a significant difference to our troubled world. He brought us closer to Jesus.

In just twelve years he showed us that the Church is relevant to the modern world, that the future is not a threat, that we need to look with fresh eyes at our faith, and that hope in God can triumph over the pessimism and hatred that seems to pervade our society. His recent autobiography, “Hope”, is filled with his honesty, energy, brilliance, depth, and especially love: for his family, his faith, his friends, his life, and his holy vocation to the priesthood.

What an extraordinary thing that our Holy Father died the day after Easter! It is the greatest celebration of life and hope that Christians can have.  We can certainly grieve his death but at the same time know that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and that the Holy Spirit, who has guided the Church for almost 2,000 years, will continue to do so through amazing people like Pope Francis.

As we grieve for him and pray for him, let us remember his own words of consolation and hope during this time of mourning and loss: “God is the light that illuminates the darkness, even if it does not dissolve it, and a spark of divine love is within all of us.”

God bless you all.

Fr. Ed Smith
April 21, 2025