In death, Pope Francis leaves behind a living gospel steeped in mercy, compassion, and an unwavering love for the poor, the marginalized, the outcast. His passing marks the end of a 12-year pontificate that shook the foundations of a rigid institution and breathed life into the teachings of Jesus Christ by making the Catholic Church a home for 'everyone, everyone, everyone.'

A pope who shunned grandeur

From the start of his papacy in 2013, he signaled a break from tradition. Eschewing the grandeur of the papal apartments for a modest room in the Casa Santa Marta and trading red papal shoes for simple black ones.

He called for a Church that is “poor and for the poor,” and he lived this ideal with authenticity. He washed the feet of inmates and refugees, dined with the homeless, and spoke harsh truths to power, even within the walls of the Vatican.

'Who am I to judge?'

On July 2013, on a flight back home from Brazil he was asked about gay clergy in the church. He replied with a phrase that reverberated across the world: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”

It was a theological earthquake.

For LGBTQ+ Catholics long made to feel unwelcome in their own Church, these words were a balm and a beacon. Over the years, Francis would back this up with actions. He met privately with LGBTQ+ individuals and groups, called for the acceptance of gay children by their families, denounced the criminalization of homosexuality, and most recently approved blessings for same-sex couples.

Critics from within called it heresy. To others, it was holiness in action.

Defender of the outcast

He championed the dignity of migrants, calling the Mediterranean Sea “a cemetery” and demanding urgent action from world leaders. He called out economic injustice, environmental destruction, and what he described as the “globalization of indifference.”

He made enemies in doing so — among conservatives, among autocrats, even among fellow bishops. But he never wavered. “We need a poor Church for the poor,” he said. And he worked relentlessly to bring the Church closer to those on the margins.

Pope Francis made significant gestures toward empowering women within the Church. He appointed women to key positions in the Vatican bureaucracy, encouraged theological discussion on the female diaconate, and repeatedly called out the “machismo” and clericalism embedded in Church culture.

His approach was often described as incremental, but he opened doors that had long been sealed shut — nudging the Church forward with patience and a pastor’s heart.

A legacy of courage

In his final years, Pope Francis battled illness and increasing opposition from conservative factions within the Church. But even in frailty, his voice remained firm. When critics condemned his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, he didn’t back down.

“No one should be denied a blessing. Everyone, everyone, everyone,” he said in 2024 — words that echo now in memorial services across the globe.

He called out the “hypocrisy” of those who objected to blessings for gay couples but remained silent on exploitative businessmen or other grave sins. He insisted the Church must stop requiring “moral perfection” before offering God's love and mercy.

Pope Francis did not perform miracles in the traditional sense, but his life was miraculous in its imitation of Christ. He turned the other cheek when vilified. He welcomed the stranger. He comforted the afflicted. He showed that holiness is not about rules but about relationship — our relationship with God and with one another.