Papa Francesco è stato qui!, By Wole Olaoye

On Easter Sunday, I watched the expectant crowd at St Peter’s Square break into a spontaneous applause as Pope Francis’ head appeared on the most recognisable balcony in the world, the papal balcony. It was from that same loggia that the former Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was introduced to the world on 13 March, 2013, as the Catholic Church’s 266th pope, with the name Francis I, an appellation he took after Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic who renounced his wealth and devoted his life to the poor.

At the Easter celebration, he looked gaunt and pensive, like somebody who had an important mission to accomplish and was determined to pull it through.

Easter Demise 

For a man known for his toothpaste smile, convivial mien and charismatic carriage, it was clear that the recent bout of bilateral pneumonia had challenged him greatly. But he was determined to do his duty of delivering his Easter message to the world. “Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” he said, his voice marginally above a whisper. He then ceded the task of reading his Easter message to Archbishop Diego Ravelli. 

In his message, he reminded the world about the true meaning of Christ’s resurrection and related it to the challenges of the materialistic, violence-prone contemporary world. 

“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! 

“What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of our world!” he lamented.

“I would like us to renew our hope that peace is possible!”, said Pope Francis. He prayed for peace in the Middle East, particularly for the cessation of bombings in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages, the Christian communities in Lebanon and Syria; Yemen; Ukraine; the South Caucasus; and Balkans; and parts of Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan and South Sudan.

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Then, to everyone’s surprise, he descended down to St Peter’s Square, where he was driven around in an open-top popemobile to greet and bless the cheering crowds. “Viva Papa!” they hailed respectfully.

And his earthly job was done. On Easter Monday, Cardinal Kevin Farrell broke the news to a shocked world:

“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father…”

Many Firsts

Pope Francis was the first Jesuit priest and the first Latin American to become pope. He was the first pope in 600 years to take over from a living predecessor who resigned due to old age. He was also the first pope to preside over the funeral of his predecessor (Benedict XVI). He was the first pope to reject the palatial papal quarters, opting instead to live in a simple apartment with a bed and reading table. (Remember, as Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he did not stay in the bishop’s palace but in an apartment. He preferred using public transport to a chauffeured limousine and liked cooking his own meals).

He also shunned some of the accoutrements of the office— like the crimson shoes always worn by his predecessors, preferring his black shoes. When he was healthier, he carried his own bag, which scandalised many people. He made his own phone calls, some of them to widows, rape victims, prisoners and other troubled or marginalised souls. He was the first pope to wash and kiss the feet of prisoners during Holy Week ceremonies. He ate with the staff at the apartment block where he resided and shunned any form of salary. According to Economic Times, popes are traditionally entitled to a salary of about $32,000 per month. Sources revealed that Francis had about $100 in his bank account at the time of death.

Francis was the first pope to ‘seek forgiveness’ for child sexual abuse over the Church’s dark past. He subsequently updated the Catholic Church’s criminal code by adding details on punishing sexual abuse crimes of minors by priests, among other measures.

He was never ashamed of apologising for the sins of others.

Many Battles 

Francis was an advocate of universal brotherhood. He counselled world leaders to build bridges, not walls. In 2016, with Europe’s migration crisis at a peak, Pope Francis flew to the Greek island of Lesbos and returned to Rome with three families of asylum-seeking Syrian Muslims.

He was also committed to inter-faith reconciliation, kissing the Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in a historic February 2016 encounter, and making a joint call for freedom of belief with leading Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb in 2019. He helped facilitate a historic rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, and encouraged the peace process in Colombia. 

Climate Appeal

Experts credited Pope Francis with having influenced the landmark 2015 Paris climate accords with his “Laudato Si” encyclical, an appeal for action on climate change that was grounded in science. 

Controversies

One of the bitterest controversies that raged during Francis’ papacy was his seeming ‘over-leniency’ on transgressors. In a world where hypocrisy has been honed to a fine art even among clerics and self-acclaimed righteous adherents, the expectation from a pope was that he would breathe down melting sulphur and infernal inferno on sinners. That was why, very much in the fashion of the hypocrites who took an adulteress to Jesus asking that she be stoned to death as the law commanded, the modern day judgemental horde presented the case of homosexuals to the pope: Should they be ostracised, stoned to death or dealt with in some other ruthless manner?

Pope Francis answered: “Who am I to judge?” (Remember, Jesus had told the accusers of the adulteress, “Whoever is sinless among you, let him cast the first stone!”)

The pope’s explanation was that he, too, was a sinner who had only benefitted from God’s infinite mercy and that he would therefore recommend mercy and love as the best reactions towards those who had strayed.

“God is in every person’s life…  Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else – God is in this person’s life…”, he preached. 

In many respects, his life was consequential. No wonder his funeral brought the best of the Latin and Eastern traditions together. 

While his demise engendered an endless funeral train round the continents with scores of world leaders, friends and foes alike, communists and capitalists, mystics and atheists, queuing to honour him with their presence, at least one of his socio-political antagonists couldn’t overcome their ancient pettiness. 

A message on Israel’s verified X account that read “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing” was taken down hours after it was posted last Monday. Hebrew media reported that Israeli diplomatic missions around the world were ordered to delete any similar messages and not to sign condolence books in Vatican embassies. President Herzog (bless him), posted a message of condolence, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said nothing as at the time this piece was being put to bed.

I am convinced that History, the inexorable judge, will echo the adulatory chant of the mourners who thronged St Peter’s Square after the pope’s demise: “Papa Francesco è stato qui” (Pope Francis Was Here!) 

Indeed he was — and what a remarkable man! 

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on [email protected], Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021