You know the scenes that make me sob the most in books and movies? It’s not when characters are treated unfairly. It’s not when all seems hopeless. It’s not even necessarily when the protagonist loses someone they love (although the opening sequence from “Up” wrecks me every time). In actuality, my heart breaks the most when the main character realizes they have to keep moving forward without that person that they love by their side.
They’ll say something like, “I can’t do this without you,” or admit that they didn’t realize how much they needed that person until they were gone.
I didn’t cry when I first heard about Pope Francis’ passing. I sat there shocked, thinking, “But he was wishing us a happy Easter just yesterday.” But as the day went on, I realized the “pilgrim Church on earth” — the people of God — would be continuing our earthly pilgrimage without Papa Francesco beside us anymore. That’s when the tears hit me. Honestly, I was in the middle of cooking lunch, so now I know how fun it is to suddenly start sobbing over a hot stove.
As Catholics everywhere pray for the eternal rest of Pope Francis — and for the Holy Spirit to be with whoever becomes the next pope — we should make sure those tears of farewell become smiles of gratitude, that we don’t forget to appreciate the past as we look forward to the future. So, in this “in between” period of both sadness and hope, here are seven facts (some quite random) about Pope Francis’ life, and lessons we can draw from them to honor his memory.
He was the first non-European pope, the first pope to take the name “Francis,” and the first Jesuit pope (an order of priests dedicated to caring for others and seeing God in all things and all people). These “firsts” were a huge deal for the Catholic Church! Everyone’s mission is the same — we are all called to bring the hope and love of Jesus to the world — yet we are all called to do this in our own unique way. There’s a first time for everything, right? Don’t be afraid of stepping up and serving God and others in a way that has never been done before. If you make a few waves, just ask God to loan you a surfboard.
He was elected pope after just two days of conclave (the time set aside for Church leaders to pray for and elect the next pope). Our lives can change drastically overnight. They can change drastically in a moment. Pope Francis had to trust what the Holy Spirit was doing when he suddenly called the Holy Father to accept this new plan for his life. The next time you’re overwhelmed by how (quickly) things are changing for you, remember: life indeed moves fast, which means we have no time to waste doubting or worrying about what’s in store for us! And we certainly don’t have the luxury of trying to figure it out on our own. Trust in your Heavenly Father, listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Pro tip: If you’re tired from all of life’s demands, take a nap. Then, when you wake up refreshed, keep charging forward. Pope Francis believed you have so much love to give but so little time to give it.
He trusted St. Joseph with his problems. Speaking of naps (and trust), Pope Francis said, “When I have a problem, I write it down on a piece of paper which I put under the statue of the sleeping St. Joseph on my desk.” If God trusted the earthly father of Jesus to take care of his only Son, we can trust St. Joseph to take care of our many needs, too. You can pray for his help as often as you like. Saint Joseph is your father figure, and he would be honored to intercede for you.
His parents had tickets to board the Principessa Mafalda, “The Italian Titanic,” but they had to forfeit their tickets due to administrative delays. Before he was born, Pope Francis’ parents were preparing to follow his grandparents as they immigrated from Italy to Argentina. Had they not been delayed, they would have been among the more than 1,200 passengers aboard the Principessa when it sank, 314 of whom lost their lives. “You cannot imagine how many times I have thanked providence,” Pope Francis later wrote. His parents may have seen their delayed trip as an inconvenience at first, but probably not so much when they learned what happened to the Principessa. In the same way, we can be disappointed by closed doors or missed opportunities in life, but when we look back, we realize “that in everything God works for good.” (Romans 8:28)
He was baptized on Christmas Day. How cool would it be to have your “rebirthday” land on Jesus’ birthday? Pope Francis often encouraged us to remember and celebrate our “second birthday” — when we were born into the Church, came into the family of God, and were first united to Christ.
He often asked others to pray for him. Think about that for a second. How often does your parish priest, your mom or dad, your youth minister, or your closest mentor ask you to pray for them? Isn’t it usually the other way around? No one is too important, too holy, or too authoritative to ask for (or need) prayers. It is a humbling and powerful thing to ask others to pray for you. If the pope made a habit of it, we should, too.
Before becoming pope, he had been waiting for more than a year for the nomination of his successor as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, so that he could retire. Have you ever thought you were reaching the end of a certain journey, so you started to relax and take things easy… but then you heard someone chuckling softly, and that someone was God, and he was chuckling because he still had a lot more in store for you than you realized? Allow yourself to laugh with God in those moments. Life becomes a fun adventure when you do. What’s the alternative? To complain? To resist, maybe? When you realize God’s got your back through every plot twist, you are truly free to relax and enjoy the life he gives you. It’s probably why Pope Francis was so quick-witted and had a playful sense of humor. Like Heavenly Father, like Holy Father!
“Dear young people,
May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race [of the Christian life].
The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith.
We need them!
And when you arrive where we have not yet reached,
have the patience to wait for us.”
Thank you, Pope Francis, for believing in us and dedicating your life to serving God’s people! When you arrive where we have not yet reached, pray for us.
