Pope Francis. PHOTO/FILE/AFP
As the news broke that Pope Francis had returned to God at 7:35am on Easter Monday morning, I could not help but relive the moments of his election and what his greatest legacy (I think) is in his 12-year pontificate.
Election
I remember vividly how on March 12, 2013, the cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel in twos, chanting the litany of the saints and then the doors were locked until a new pope was elected.
The world watched the chimney for the white smoke and waited. No one expected the smoke from the first ballot to be white. We had more black smoke on 13th early afternoon signalling that the second and third ballot had been inconclusive. That evening from 7pm, I was glued on to BBC TV, waiting for the smoke. Tick tock… 8pm, 9pm, no smoke!
All this while, a seagull sat comfortably atop the chimney as if also waiting patiently. And at around 9:06pm, something happened at the chimney- the seagull was gone and bits of smoke billowed out. For a few seconds it was not clear what colour it was, but then it was clear-white! And the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang. We had a pope! From that moment on, we stayed glued to the curtains of the papal apartments, waiting for the Cardinal Proto-deacon to come and announce the election.
And what a wait it was! But we did not care one bit. We watched the curtain and waited. After about an hour, the curtains opened, and the Cardinal Proto-deacon announced what we had waited patiently for an hour or so- ‘Habemus Papam!’.
And his name? Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio! And his chosen papal name? Francesco! As we waited for the Pope to emerge, we fell in love with a cardinal who was so humble that he rejected an apostolic palace for a humble apartment in Argentina; a cardinal who had refused to move in a chauffeured vehicle, opting to use a bus instead; a cardinal who would cook his own meals.
These were exciting times! As we were taking in the excitement, the curtains opened again and Pope Francis appeared. And we fell in love with him. In the gaze as he took in the crowds; in his warm greeting; in his humility in asking us to pray with and for him before he blessed us. We fell in love with a man who was showing us that we were in this walk together side by side and felt a special friendship when he asked for the microphone again just to wish us a good night.
His humility
His humility in declining a papal armour-plated limousine, preferring to move on the bus with the cardinals; clearing his hotel bill and carrying his luggage from the hotel; his choice not to move into the papal palace but instead moving into the modest Casa Santa Marta; his continued choice to skip the papal limo in favour of modest vehicles both within the Vatican and on international visits, was such an inspiration.
Perhaps, his choice of papal name should have given us a clue. Upon his election as pope, Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio decided to take the name “Francis”, after the great St Francis of Assisi who lived and preached holy poverty.
So central was humility to his pontificate that he sanctioned changes to the funeral rites of a pope, insisting that “the funeral of pope is that of a pastor and a disciple of Christ, and not of a powerful person of this world”.
Consequently, we saw many changes in his funeral from what we have been used to including: Upon death, the pope’s body would be immediately placed inside an open coffin, rather than an elevated bier.
The revised rites eliminate the use of three coffins—one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak. Instead, the body was placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining and transferred to St Peter’s Basilica, without passing through the Apostolic Palace for another exposition. The Pope can be buried outside the Vatican if he so chooses. Pope Francis, as we know, decided that he would be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome), together with five other popes who chose that basilica as their final resting place.
Mercy is the face of love
Twelve years on, I will remember Pope Francis’ pontificate for reminding us that mercy is the true face of love. Two years into his papacy, Francis announced the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, with Churches around the world each designating a holy door as a reminder of the call to reconciliation and availing indulgences to the faithful.
From that year, Francis declared that all priests have the permanent right to forgive the grave sin of abortion that ends innocent life, which had until then been the preserve of bishops (or special confessors). He preached so much about mercy, insisting that "God never tires of forgiving”.
He not only preached in word but also in action with his humbly going to confession during penitential celebrations one of the great images of his pontificate. It is no wonder that the door to the Francis’ tomb is flanked by two confessionals where elderly priests wearing albs whisper in persona Christi, releasing the bonds of sins.
Back to the Father’s house…
Less than two years after his election (August 2014), Francis, speaking to reporters on the papal plane from South Korea, predicted that his pontificate would last only a short time, saying, ‘Two or three years and then I'll be off to the Father's House’. He was wrong! And boy, am I glad he was wrong! God gave us 10+ years of classic lessons in humility and mercy. May the soul of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 266th Pope, rest with God.
Quick note.
At a glance. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from a family that immigrated to Argentina. He was the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, and the first Jesuit pope. He took the name of Francis of Assisi, the patron of the poor, and decided against living in the lavish Vatican palace.
