Dear Friends in Christ,
The joy of Easter this year was tempered quickly by the death of Pope Francis the very next day.
It seemed surreal to have watched him give his Easter blessing to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square and then to learn of his passing so soon afterward.
Predictably, the stream of articles and commentaries started to appear, offering perspectives on his pontificate and his impact on the Church.
Francis was certainly his own man, sometimes unpredictable and surprising — and in ways that left some people uncomfortable.
In many ways his life reflected the style of Jesus, who made it a point to reach out to the marginalized and who often upset the standard ways of thinking and acting.
Our Lord ate with sinners, spoke publicly with a marginalized Samaritan woman with a checkered past (and present), and cured on the sabbath. And he chose his closest disciples from among the common folk and not from the ranks of the learned and wealthy.
Like Jesus, Francis left a legacy that will take time to unpack. Time and the guidance of the Holy Spirit will help teach us what to make of some of Francis’ eyebrow-raising footnotes and off-the-cuff comments.
It will be an exercise that calls all of us to be humble and open-minded.
We can do with it with confidence, though, since the same Spirit that guided and inspired the apostles after the Ascension will be here to lead us.
This might be a good moment to pray and reflect on the papacy with one of our Retreat Guides — Built to Last: A Retreat Guide on the St. Peter and the Papacy.
As we unite our prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, we can also beseech the Spirit’s help as the Church looks toward the next Successor of Peter.
In Christ,
Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Ask a Priest contributor
