An Easter Pope

I believe Francis is an Easter Pope, and one who showed us the Easter courage that will be deeply needed in the coming days ahead.

Pope Francis was known for the same things as Jesus was. His deepest love, like his Savior Christ, was for those who were the most poor and vulnerable. His very first trip as Pope was to visit marginalized people on an island during their immigration journey. From the start of his papacy, he showed his warmest welcome to migrants which continued throughout his papacy –by always paying special attention to them.

He not only visited prisoners consistently, but often washed and kissed their feet, even needing help in his later years to get down on his knees and back up again. He was often bold and courageous in confronting the rich and powerful, and wasn’t afraid to name policies like mass deportation as “shameless” for their cruelty and injustice.

He also held all of us individually responsible for injustices everywhere. In an interview on 60 Minutes less than a year ago, Pope Francis referenced “the globalization of indifference” as a “very ugly disease” when discussing the the migrant crisis and specifically called for building bridges rather than walls on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees

He was the first Pope to say the word “gay,” and when asked about gay people in the church, Francis said perhaps the most famous words of his papal years, “Who am I to judge?” He was a brave steward for the creation itself, and named both wealthy leaders and countries for policies that destroy the environment and deny climate justice, again for the most vulnerable. And, as Pope, Francis consistently called for, and tried to act, for an end to war and violence. He wasn’t afraid to name particular conflicts peppered with strong opinions.

Which all made Francis a wonderful exception to many church leaders. His amazing simplicity in where and how he lived was in dramatic contrast to religious opulence. Perhaps the most humorous but telling symbol of that contrast was in 2015, when he drove a simple little Fiat car to the White House, where countless limousines have arrived over the decades. On my office wall I regularly look at a picture of Pope Francis addressing a joint session of Congress and lifting up the teachings of Jesus to the legislators. I will never forget when, as the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress, Pope Francis called on the Senators and Representatives to defend and preserve the dignity of their fellow citizens in the "tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good," which he described as the chief aim of all politics.

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Francis prophetically reached out to grassroots activists, calling them to bridge the gap between the world’s massive inequalities. Both local leaders and women from around the world were more present at Vatican meetings than ever before. I remember a stunned male priest participating at a synod meeting with the Pope present, telling me how a lay woman presided over the event, with Cardinals and Bishops sitting at tables joined by lay people and many women. When a Cardinal interrupted a woman making a point at his table, she responded by saying, “Excuse me, but I wasn’t finished speaking yet.” That’s what Francis' papacy meant to many: the church is not finished yet.

As a non-Catholic, I so deeply admired a leader who was both a pastor to everyone he sought out and everyone who came to see him across ethnic, racial, and political boundaries; and also a fighter who stood and acted for social justice as central to his vocation as a follower of Jesus who became a Pope. Being the first Jesuit Pope made him especially beloved at Georgetown where I now teach; being the first Pope from Latin America and the global south made Francis a pope for the future, representing the only parts of the world where the church is growing.

I was very sad this morning when I woke up to the news of his death, but also was very glad that he made it through Easter, after blessing thousands from his wheelchair and even in his vehicle getting closer to “the people” that he so loved, just a day before he died. I believe Francis is an Easter Pope, and one who showed us the Easter courage that will be deeply needed in the coming days ahead. The life of Francis embodied Jesus' words used in every conversation with his disciples, after his death and resurrection. “Be not afraid.”

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