The world has lost a great moral and spiritual leader in Pope Francis, for he understood in the truest way what it means to be a Christian in a faithless world.
Yes, many hated him, especially in the United States, with its MAGA Catholics (we’ll leave aside the petty vituperations of MAGA Protestants who inhabit a universe all their own), for those who demand virtue are always hated—but for many in the world, Francis always sought to embody Christ’s greatest commandment, that we must love one another. Without love, there is no Christ; and that love must extend to the most difficult of places—where there is enmity, where there is discomfort, where there is hostility and anger.
For Christians, Christ as the Saviour demands that we imitate Him in all ways—to be Christ-like means to know how to love far beyond our comfort zones, for what else is the point of Good Friday—love alone saves us from ourselves, and Divine Love saves eternally, despite who we are.
Many will dwell on what Francis did or did not do, and their judgment will stem from their various worldviews; while those flitting about centers of power will praise or condemn him for affirming or not affirming their versions of politics. What we choose to praise or castigate in others also lays bare our own pusillanimity or hints at what is noble in us. It is a matter of the heart, how pure or impure it is. “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just,” Francis said.
If are to speak of the accomplishments of the late Pontiff, then they must also include two that are little mentioned and yet are his greatest: his work to bring about unity with the Orthodox Church, and his persistent denunciation of the genocide in Gaza.
The greater mission that he strove to achieve throughout his pontificate was to bring about Christian unity, especially with the Orthodox Church.
The most significant development in this regard was the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in February 2016, the first-ever meeting between leaders of the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. This meeting resulted in the Joint Declaration, also known as the Havana Declaration, which called for peace in conflict zones such as Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, and expressed hope for re-establishing Christian unity willed by God.
The Declaration addressed a wide range of issues including persecution of Christians, secularism, social inequality, and the importance of family, while also acknowledging the complex political and ecclesiastical realities, particularly the tensions surrounding Ukraine.
Pope Francis reiterated his desire for full unity among Christians on multiple occasions, highlighting the spiritual and practical importance of overcoming divisions between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. He encouraged ongoing dialogue and cooperation, framing unity as a response to Christ’s prayer “that his disciples may all be one.”
Despite these efforts, difficulties remained, and the Russian Orthodox Church was often cautious, especially given internal Orthodox tensions and even factionalism. The 2016 meeting, however, was seen as a diplomatic breakthrough but did not immediately resolve the schism Great Schism that happened nearly a thousand years ago, in 1054. Therefore, there were many critics of the Joint Declaration. But Francis never abandoned his effort to bring about reconciliation and unity.
One can only hope and pray that this important work of Francis will continue with the next pontificate.
The greatest evil being carried out in our age is the holocaust in Gaza. Some choose to stay silent, while others cannot stay silent. Cruelty is a strange thing, for it draws affirmation from many quarters. If we ignore cruelty, we approve also it.
Pope Francis stood at the very front of those who refused to stay silent. “Do not grow accustomed to evil, but defeat it with good,” he reminded us.
And so, Francis maintained a deeply personal connection with Gaza’s Christian community throughout the on-going genocide by Israel, and he was Gaza’s greatest symbol of hope who advocated for peace in the Holy Land. Those that live in Gaza called him their “shield.”
The Holy Family Church in Gaza City is the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip. It belongs to the Latin Church and is administered by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Once, Gaza was largely Christian; and it was the Gazan Christians who were the first to be ethnically cleansed by the Israeli settlers. The Holy Family Church serves a small Catholic community in Gaza, which numbered around 133 people in 2021, though the overall Christian population in Gaza is now roughly 0.05% of the population.
The parish included a school founded in 1974 by the Latin Patriarchate, which was considered one of the best schools in Gaza, educating over 1,200 children regardless of religion, with many Muslim children attending as well. The Rosary Sisters also ran a kindergarten and elementary school with about 500 students. These schools and the church worked closely with religious congregations such as the Missionaries of Charity and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, who provided care for the elderly and disabled. The church housed Christians and Muslims displaced by Israeli bombardments, with makeshift tents filling its courtyard.
This is what has happened to this important church:
- Shrapnel from nearby Israeli army strikes damaged the Holy Family Church and its parish buildings, destroying water tanks and solar panels on the roofs. Other parts of the complex were also damaged.
- On December 16, 2023, two civilians, Naheda and Samr Anton, were shot and killed inside the church compound by an Israeli sniper.
- The Church’s school was bombed by the Israeli Air Force on July 7, 2024, resulting in the deaths of four displaced people who were sheltering on the grounds. On July 8, an Israeli missile destroyed two classrooms on the first floor of the school next to the church.
- The parish complex has run out of fuel, depriving the community of electricity and stable communications.
- The Holy Family Church is one of the churches in Gaza sheltering displaced people. Approximately 750 people, including over 100 children, sought refuge at the Holy Family Church.
- An airstrike also destroyed the Rosary Sisters School (kindergarten and elementary).
Despite repeated Israeli airstrikes, the church remained a vital shelter for those unable or unwilling to evacuate, due to the dangers and obstacles in fleeing Gaza. The parish provided essential aid such as food, water, basic supplies, and medical assistance to the displaced, even as resources dwindled and electricity was limited to about an hour a day.
And all the while, Pope Francis called the Holy Family Church nearly every evening at 8 PM, engaging with church leaders and displaced families sheltering there. These 15-minute conversations reassured Gazans that they were not forgotten. His last call, just before he died, lasted only 15 seconds, because of his ill health. But he could not leave this world without speaking to his people in Gaza for the last time.
Francis consistently demanded ceasefires, condemned Israel’s blockade, and criticized military tactics including school/hospital bombings and civilian casualties. In his last Easter message, he urged warring parties to “declare a ceasefire, free hostages, and assist a starving population.” Francis described Gaza’s humanitarian crisis as “very serious and shameful” and called for investigations into the genocide.
Of course, Pope Francis’ concern extended beyond Christians to all Gazans. He frequently inquired about schools and hospitals, emphasizing that “people deserve to live with dignity.” Muslim residents acknowledged his care for their community, while Hamas officials recognized his opposition to the genocide taking place.
Gazans described feeling “orphaned” after his death, crediting him with sustaining their resolve to remain. His nightly calls and public condemnations drew global attention to Gaza’s suffering amid waning international focus, and relentless support of Israel by western leaders.
Among all the leaders of the West, Pope Francis was the sole voice who defiantly said “No!” to the evil happening in Palestine. “Those who love do not stand idly by, but serve others. Those who love hasten to serve, hasten to dedicate themselves to the service of others,” he reminded us.
If we limit love by way of political, social, cultural obligations, then we are not Christians; we are simply serving the masters of this world. The strength of Christianity lies in its ability to deny all the evil of this world, often attractively packaged as political loyalty. And so, Pope Francis’ condemnation of violence in Gaza, including his use of terms like “terrorism” and “genocide” to describe Israeli military actions, amplified global awareness of the severity of the conflict and civilian suffering. Palestinians viewed him as a staunch defender of their rights and a rare international voice calling for justice and peace.
In his last Urbi et Orbi message, on Easter 2025, Pope Francis summarized the entirety of his pontificate with these words:
Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.
What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world! How much violence we see, often even within families, directed at women and children! How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!
On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God!
And he did not forget those places where suffering is the greatest, often brought about by western and Israeli politicians. For example, he remembered Yemen: “I also think in particular of the people of Yemen, who are experiencing one of the world’s most serious and prolonged humanitarian crises because of war, and I invite all to find solutions through a constructive dialogue.”
Francis understood perfectly that the source of most of the evil in this world comes from the way western politicians wield the power given them, and who wield it without mercy. “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others. Nor is peace possible without true disarmament! The requirement that every people provide for its own defence must not turn into a race to rearmament. The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that create division and are fraught with grave political and economic consequences. It impels us to care for one another, to increase our mutual solidarity, and to work for the integral development of each human person.”
In the world of ours, the weak, the poor, the helpless stand nameless before the loud bluster of the powerful. Francis made sure to stand with those the world neglected or vilified.. There is no greater nobility of the soul than to stand with those the world cannot bring itself to love.
In the end, when we speak of love, we also speak of hope, the purest of human desires.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. Easter Sequence). He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5)!
Happy Easter to everyone!
Francis was a truly saintly man and a great Pope, for he alone had moral courage. The world would be a better place if more leaders tried to imitate some of his many virtues—and learned from him how to govern by way of love. Those in power who forget humility embrace evil.
May Christ welcome him into His Kingdom: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
And may Christ bring us a great moral leader in the next pope.
