Our beloved Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7.35 am Central European Summer Time (timezone used by Rome). The Catholic Diocese of Lucknow joins the Universal Church and the Global Community in mourning the loss of the 88-year-old Pontiff, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years from 2013 to 2025 in these challenging times.

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a Jesuit Cardinal from Argentina, was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, he took the name Francis, already indicating the direction the new Pope would lead the Church. He wanted the Church to be poor, simple, humble like St Francis of Assisi. He showed that by his own life of simplicity and humility. He was a shepherd with the smell of the sheep, a people's Pope.

Francis' legacy can be summarised in four keywords that reflect powerfully and prominently in his writings, discourses, actions, and life: joy, hope, mercy, and peace.

Pope Francis always radiated joy in his life. He was a smiling Pope. He said that joy and a sense of humour were the signs of holiness. Despite the heavy burden of busy and hectic schedules, meetings, travels, etc., he always looked cheerful and exuberant. He exhorted us to be joyful and not put on long, grim faces as if we were just returning from a funeral. A Christian should always be joyful. Many of his writings have as part of the title the word joy e.g. Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel); Gaudate et Exultate (Rejoice and be Glad); Veritatis Gaudium (Joy of Truth); Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love). Pope Francis spread Christian joy to all who met him and wherever he went.

Hope is another important word that occurs prominently in Pope Francis' writings. His autobiography, "Hope," was published in January 2025. His Bull of Indiction declaring the Holy Year or Jubilee Year 2025 is called "Spes non Confundit" (Hope does not disappoint). The theme of the Jubilee Year proposed by Pope Francis is "Pilgrims of Hope." Pope Francis wanted the Church and every Christian to be a living testimony of hope and enkindle hope in others, even in hopeless situations, because the death and resurrection of Jesus are the foundation of our hope.

Mercy is another word frequently used by Pope Francis. He epitomised the mercy and compassion of God. He declared the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy or Year of Mercy, which we celebrated enthusiastically from December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016. Pope Francis is well known for his mercy and compassion for the prisoners, migrants, refugees, the poor, the sick and the marginalised. At General Audiences, he would embrace and kiss any sick or handicapped person. On Maundy Thursdays, he went to the Roman Prison and washed the feet of prisoners.

All these are extraordinary signs of his love, compassion and mercy towards the poor and marginalised. He has often appealed to world leaders to cancel the debt of poor countries and create funds by reducing defence budgets to care for poor and hungry people in the world. He initiated the celebration of World Day of the Poor and World Day of Grandparents and Elderly. He was the Voice of the voiceless and moral conscience of the world.

World Peace is another passion of Pope Francis. As a true Shepherd and servant of the Prince of Peace, he tried his best to work for World Peace. Apart from continuing to send annual messages for World Day of Peace, he took every opportunity to appeal for peace whenever there was any conflict anywhere in the world. He tried his best to stop the wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine (Hamas) and many other countries torn apart by civil wars. He even sent his envoys to broker peace in different countries.

Pope Francis' Encyclical "Laudato Si'" (2015) on Ecology is a masterpiece on the environment, calling all people of goodwill to take care of Mother Earth, our common home. Pope Francis wanted the world to realise and act upon the importance and urgency of ecological conversion and action on the part of world leaders and common people immediately. Pope Francis also wanted the Church of the Third Millennium to be a Synodal Church. That is what God wants, he said.

There are still so many things that we can say about this great Pope. The true tribute to him would be imitating him in his simplicity, humility, compassion, mercy, joy, hope, and work towards peace, fraternity, and care for the environment. Let us also make every effort to make ourselves and our Church synodal. Then Pope Francis will live not only in our memories but in our lives, too.

We thank God for the gift of Pope Francis to the Church and the world at the right time. Now that he has accomplished his tasks and is called to his eternal reward, we pray to our merciful Father in heaven to receive him into his kingdom and grant him peace and happiness in his heavenly kingdom in the company of saints and angels.

R.I.P.