In an exclusive interview with the Daily Tribune, Father Tajonera — known as “Father Joy” — shared a short but meaningful reflection about the Pope.
When asked if there was any lesson he learned from the late Pope, Fr. Joy said, “Humility. Look after those who are the outsiders, in the peripheries…the homeless, migrants, refugees, foreigners, women, children, seniors, divorced people, gay, prisoners. Be Kind, be Merciful, work for peace, take care of the environment.”
Reflecting on whether Pope Francis’ changed how people view the papacy, Fr. Joy responded, “Yes. The Pope is not in the pedestal. But he is one who walks among us, listens to us, is with us — a people’s pope.” He also shared how the Pope had personally influenced his vocation, saying, “In a big way, migrants and refugees are his priorities.”
When asked how the faithful should remember and honor Pope Francis in their prayers, Fr. Joy emphasized, “In love with Jesus, To serve Jesus, to follow Jesus,” and added, “Pray for peace, pray for openness, pray that we remain humble, simple.”
He concluded with a strong message for everyone, “Be more inclusive, not exclusive. Not to be self-referential but missionary. Ecology is for all of us to be our priority.”
Today, the world is whispering prayers rather than raising cheers as Pope Francis, the adored leader of the Catholic Church, is laid to rest in a solemn ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis, known as the “People’s Pope,” died at 88, leaving a legacy of humility, charity and profound love.
From the moment he chose his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, he demonstrated an extraordinary love echoing Jesus Christ’s example.
Elected by his fellow cardinals in 2013 as the 266th successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis led Catholic Church with simplicity and humility, shunning the trappings of power that often accompanied the papacy.
Until his last breath on Easter Monday, he remained true to his calling – a servant of the people.
Cardinals and the faithful have the opportunity to pay their last respects to Pope Francis during the three days that it lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, as is tradition. To honor the late Pope, thousands of mourners have gathered in St. Peter’s Square and patiently waited in long lines.
His remains were moved to the Altar of the Confessio, which is close to St. Peter’s tomb, from the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where he modestly chose to reside rather than the Apostolic Palace.
Pope Francis’ desire to streamline papal ceremonies is reflected in the fact that his body is interred in an open wooden casket rather than the three coffins made of oak, lead and cypress that have been used for centuries. The camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, presided over the private ceremony of shutting Pope Francis casket on the evening of 25 April, according to Vatican News. In front of cardinals from the Roman Curia, Pope Francis’ secretaries and certain family members, Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli draped Pope Francis’ face with a white silk veil during the solemn ceremony.
The Pope had been planning his final journey for a long time. He penned a spiritual testament as early as June 2022, expressing his wish for a modest funeral that adhered to the Church custom. In his testament, he penned: “I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary (the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major), where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks to her gentle and maternal care. I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche on the side between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan. The tomb should be on the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”
Pope Francis’ tomb in the Basilica of St. Mary Major was built in accordance to his wishes, using stone from his grandparents’ home region of Liguria. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Basilica’s co-Archpriest, said that the tomb lies near the Altar of St. Francis and carries merely the inscription “Franciscus” along with a copy of his pectoral cross.
Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday, commonly known as Monday of the Angel, was fraught with spiritual significance. Dying during the Easter Octave represents the Resurrection’s ongoing message of hope and triumph over death. His final public act was the Urbi et Orbi on Easter Sunday, when, despite visible infirmity, he declared Christ’s triumph with unshakeable faith.
Based on EWTN Vatican adding to the layers of spiritual “God-incidences,” his body was brought to St. Peter’s Basilica on 23 April, St. George’s Day — his name day. A devout admirer of St. George, Pope Francis often invoked the saint’s protection in spiritual battles. His funeral, scheduled for the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, perfectly aligns with the central theme of his pontificate: the boundless mercy of God.
His passing also came just before the feast of Mary, Mother of the Society of Jesus — fitting for the first Jesuit pope who had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin and entrusted his papacy to her.
Pope Francis will be the first pope in more than 300 years to be interred away from St. Peter’s Basilica after being buried at St. Mary Major.
He was the first Latin American, Jesuit, and modern-day Pope from outside of Europe. He was elected in 2013 as a reformer outsider and spent the next 12 years leading the church toward inclusivity, campaigning for environmental sustainability, pastoral care and expanded responsibilities for women.
The church is now in a state of sede vacante, or “empty chair,” in which the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis will lead the conclave that will select his successor.