The Legacy of Pope Francis

The Legacy of Pope Francis by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Reflecting on the peaceful Easter celebrations of millions of catholic, protestant and orthodox Christians, the sad news of the passing of Pope Francis into eternity came as a crushing blow. Here in Canada we are currently focused on the crucial federal elections soon coming to an end. Our national focus is evidenced by the more than 7.3 million Canadians who have already voted during the Easter holiday advance polls. However, we cannot ignore the death of Pope Francis. He was one of the most humane and dedicated persons to the wellbeing of humanity. Pope Francis died on Monday the 21st of April, the day after Easter, at the age of 88. As the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, he left behind a legacy of service, unity, and compassion. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was the son of Italian immigrants. He was named a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and was elected pope on March 13, 2013. Pope Francis was the first non-European pope in more than a millennium and the first Latin American pontiff. He preached peace and acceptance and reflected those values through his actions. He was the first pope to address a joint meeting of Congress in the United States and the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, known as the birthplace of Islam, a historic moment for interfaith dialogue. Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order), the first Latin American, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside of Europe since the Syrian pope Gregory III in the 8th century. Bergoglio was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958 after recovering from severe illness. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 he was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was made a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on the 28th of February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on the 13th of March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Francis was noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor, and commitment to interreligious dialogue. On the night of his election, he took a bus back to his hotel with the cardinals rather than being driven in the papal car. The next day, he visited Cardinal Jorge María Mejía in the hospital and chatted with patients and staff. In addition to his native Spanish, he spoke fluent Italian (the official language of Vatican City and the "everyday language" of the Holy See) and German. He was also conversant in Latin (the official language of the Holy See), French, Portuguese, and English; he also understood Piedmontese and some Genoese Ligurian. He was known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors. For instance, he chose to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae (House of St. Martha) guest house rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments devoid of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as a cardinal. Francis made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia. Pope Francis was a critic of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment. He viewed the death penalty as inadmissible in all cases, and committed the Catholic Church to its worldwide abolition. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, negotiated a deal with the People's Republic of China to define Communist Party influence in appointing Chinese bishops, and supported the cause of refugees. He encouraged peace between Israel and Palestinians, called protection of migrants a "duty of civilisation" and criticised anti-immigration politics world-wide. In 2022, he apologized for the Church's role in the cultural genocide of Canadian Indigenous peoples in residential schools. Pope Francis convened the Synod on Synodality, which was described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, the day before he died. With his passing we lost a true champion of humanity. Many world leaders will pay ultimate tribute to Pope Francis, protector of the poor and disadvantaged and champion for world peace. May he rest in peace!