.jpg)
The cry of “Santo Subito” (“Saint Now”) echoed through St. Peter’s Square during Pope Francis’s funeral on April 26, 2025, just days after his death on April 21 at the age of 88. This spontaneous plea, reminiscent of the outpouring at St. John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, reflects the deep conviction of many that Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was a saint in his lifetime. As the first Latin American pope, Francis embodied the title of Pontifex Maximus—a bridge builder—through his merciful acts, inclusive message, and profound impact on people of all faiths and none, including atheists, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and countless others. This blog post explores why Francis deserves sainthood, highlighting his saintly ways, his merciful legacy, and the universal bridges he built across divides.
A Saintly Life: Humility and Service
From the moment he stepped onto the global stage as pope on March 13, 2013, Francis displayed a humility that set him apart. Choosing the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, a saint known for poverty and peace, he signaled his mission to serve the marginalized. He rejected the opulence of the Apostolic Palace, opting to live in the modest Casa Santa Marta, and wore simple vestments paired with orthopedic shoes, often described as “broken” by those who knew him. His first act as pope was to pay his hotel bill, a gesture of humility that endeared him to millions.
Francis’s saintly ways were evident in his daily life. He washed the feet of prisoners, refugees, and the sick during Holy Thursday services, a ritual he performed in 2013 at a juvenile detention center in Rome, including women and Muslims—a first for a pope. His visits to the slums of Buenos Aires as Archbishop, where he was known as the “slum bishop,” continued as pope, with trips to places like Lampedusa in 2013, where he mourned migrants lost at sea, decrying the “globalization of indifference.” These acts of service were not performative but deeply rooted in his belief that the Church should be a “field hospital” for the spiritually wounded, a phrase he often used to describe his vision.
Merciful Acts: A Gospel of Forgiveness
Mercy was the cornerstone of Francis’s papacy, reflecting his episcopal motto, miserando atque eligendo (“by having mercy and by choosing”). He declared the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, emphasizing that “God never tires of forgiving us; it is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” During this jubilee, he opened holy doors not just in Rome but in prisons and cathedrals worldwide, symbolizing access to mercy for all. He also granted priests the authority to absolve the sin of abortion, a move that extended compassion to women seeking reconciliation.
Francis’s mercy extended to the most marginalized. In 2022, he made a “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada, apologizing to Indigenous survivors of residential schools for the Church’s role in what he called a “cultural genocide.” He knelt before survivors, saying, “I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians,” a moment that moved many to tears. His advocacy for migrants was unwavering—his 2016 Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border, where he called for “bridges, not walls,” challenged global leaders to see migrants as brothers and sisters, not threats. Even in his final Easter message on April 20, 2025, despite battling double pneumonia, he called for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, embodying mercy until his last breath.
A Message of Inclusion: Bridging All Faiths and None
Francis’s message of mercy and fraternity transcended religious boundaries, earning him the title of Pontifex Maximus in the truest sense—a bridge builder. His 2019 Document on Human Fraternity, signed with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, in the UAE, was a historic step toward interfaith dialogue, promoting peace and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims. He visited conflict zones like Iraq in 2021, meeting with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a gesture that built bridges between Catholics and Shiite Muslims. His 2015 visit to a mosque in the Central African Republic, during a civil war, showed his willingness to risk his safety for peace.
Atheists and agnostics also found a friend in Francis. In a 2013 letter to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, he wrote to Eugenio Scalfari, an atheist journalist, saying, “God forgives those who do not believe and do not seek faith, as long as they follow their conscience.” This openness stunned many, with Scalfari later describing Francis as “a revolutionary” who “opened a dialogue with the modern world.” Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins, while not endorsing sainthood, tweeted on April 22, 2025, “Francis was a rare religious leader who spoke to human values, not just dogma. His environmentalism and care for the poor were admirable.” This reflects how Francis’s focus on universal issues like climate change—through his 2015 encyclical Laudato si’—resonated with non-believers.
Embracing the LGBTQ+ Community: A Radical Mercy
One of Francis’s most impactful acts of mercy was his outreach to the LGBTQ+ community, a group historically marginalized by the Church. In 2013, early in his papacy, he famously said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”—a statement that marked a seismic shift in tone. In 2023, he approved blessings for same-sex couples, a move that, while controversial, signaled his desire for a more welcoming Church. He met with transgender Catholics, including a group in 2020 whom he welcomed to the Vatican, ensuring they received food aid during the pandemic. Sister Jeannine Gramick of New Ways Ministry told The New York Times after his death, “Francis gave hope to LGBTQ+ Catholics that the Church could be a home for them, not a place of exclusion.”
This inclusivity was personal for many. James Martin, S.J., a Jesuit priest and advocate for LGBTQ+ Catholics, wrote on X, “Pope Francis showed us that mercy means meeting people where they are. His words and actions saved lives by giving hope to those who felt rejected.” For members of the gay community, Francis’s mercy was not just theoretical—it offered a sense of belonging in a Church that had often pushed them away.
A Universal Impact: Touching All Walks of Life
Francis’s bridge-building extended to diverse groups, earning him admiration across the spectrum. His 2022 apology to Indigenous Canadians resonated with native communities worldwide, with Chief Wilton Littlechild saying at his funeral, “He listened to us, he cried with us, and he gave us dignity.” His visits to prisons, like his 2015 Mass at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, where he told inmates, “I am here as a brother, not to judge,” showed his solidarity with the incarcerated. Refugees, whom he called “the flesh of Christ,” found a champion in Francis—his 2016 decision to bring 12 Syrian refugees back to the Vatican from Lesbos inspired global calls for compassion.
Even those with no faith felt his impact. His environmental advocacy through Laudato si’ united people across belief systems in the fight against climate change. Greta Thunberg, the climate activist, tweeted after his death, “Pope Francis was a voice for the planet when many leaders stayed silent. His loss is felt by all who care about our common home.” His simplicity also inspired—posts on X from atheists and agnostics praised his choice to be buried in a simple coffin at Santa Maria Maggiore, with one user noting, “He lived what he preached, no hypocrisy. That’s rare.”
A True Pontifex: Building Bridges in Death
Even in death, Francis embodied the title of bridge builder. His funeral on April 26, 2025, attended by 250,000 people, brought together leaders like U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met to discuss peace—a moment dubbed “the Pope’s miracle” by some for its focus on dialogue amid global tensions. The inclusion of 40 marginalized individuals—prisoners, migrants, and survivors of trafficking—at his private burial ceremony underscored his commitment to the “last ones,” ensuring that even his final moments bridged the gap between the powerful and the powerless.
The “Santo Subito” cries during his funeral and the days he lay in state reflect a universal sentiment: Francis was a saintly figure whose mercy and inclusivity touched hearts across divides. The Vatican typically waits five years to begin the canonization process, but the outcry suggests many believe this should be expedited, as it was for John Paul II. Two verified miracles are required for sainthood, but anecdotal stories of healing attributed to Francis’s intercession are already circulating—one X post claimed a child in Argentina recovered from leukemia after prayers to Francis, though this remains unverified.
Why Francis Deserves Sainthood
Pope Francis’s saintly ways—his humility, service, and mercy—make him a compelling candidate for sainthood. He lived the Gospel by reaching out to the poor, the outcast, and the suffering, showing that God’s love knows no boundaries. His merciful acts, from washing feet to apologizing for historical wrongs, embodied Christ’s call to love one another. His message of fraternity, seen in interfaith dialogue and outreach to atheists and the LGBTQ+ community, built bridges that made the Church a home for all. Even in death, his legacy continues to unite, as seen in the diverse mourners at his funeral and the ongoing impact of his teachings.
Francis was truly a Pontifex Maximus, a bridge builder who connected people across faiths, cultures, and ideologies. His life challenges us to live with mercy, to see the divine in every person, and to work for a more just world. As we pray for his canonization, let’s also strive to emulate his example, becoming bridge builders in our own communities. Santo Subito, Pope Francis—your light continues to shine.
What do you think about Pope Francis’s potential sainthood? How has he inspired you to live with mercy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading and for your comment. All comments are subject to approval. They must be free of vulgarity, ad hominem and must be relevant to the blog posting subject matter.