Pope Francis: A Voice For Migrants and The Displaced

On Easter Monday, the world lost a strong moral voice that transcended across religions and philosophies, and cultures. His Holiness Pope Francis was a personification of moral courage who did not fear navigating through difficult paths to embrace humaneness and exceptional inclusivity. As the Holy Father of the entire Catholic church across the world, he held the helm to steer it in any direction. He intentionally chose a path others have not tread. His sincere intent to understand people for who they are and reach out to them with utmost compassion resonated with the world beyond Catholics. 

Little Jorge Bergoglio was born in Argentina. Like most Argentinians, he loved soccer and music, and dancing. His grandparents were originally from Italy, but had to flee under the fascist regime of Mussolini and take refuge in Argentina. When he grew up, he became a Jesuit priest, a congregation that embraced liberation theology, focusing on the poor and the marginalized. Latin American Priests following liberation theology are known to have taken active involvement in social justice issues and political struggles to support the oppressed to achieve a just society. Bergoglio survived the harsh dictatorship in Argentina, where people have testified how he secretly rescued priests and helped people escape from the regime. Bergoglio is a person who has personally witnessed human rights violations through the eyes of his grandparents and the Argentinian dictatorship. Therefore, he held a strong moral compass to stand for justice, which was reflected throughout his papacy.

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis, the Catholic church was going through a difficult phase addressing abuse and gender issues, among others, alienating many Catholics who moved away from the church. Pope Francis became a true transformational leader of the Catholic Church. The Holy Father addressed abuses within the Catholic church with honesty, which enhanced the credibility of the church. He appointed women in important positions of authority to lead within the church, which was long overdue. He advocated for women’s rights within the church, introduced voting rights to women through the 2024 Synod. 

Pope Francis was a stalwart in advocating for migrants and refugee rights and people living in conflict regions. He visited them across the world and invited them to travel with him. He called out world leaders unapologetically when they deviated and used Christian principles to justify deportations and building walls. He visited many African nations especially Central African Republic (CAR) and refused to wear a bullet vest defying all security advises given to him. He reached out to displaced Christians in the Middle East even when his life was threatened in Iraq. He pacified devastated people in Gaza and made phone calls to the Christian church in Gaza every single night since October 2023 until the last Holy Saturday to give them hope. 

“Pope Francis was an exceptional religious leader who believed in interfaith dialogue. He has taken proactive steps to participate in various interfaith summits and conversations.”

Pope Francis strongly opposed the criminalization of homosexuality. He reiterated Jesus’s words from the Bible, “Who am I to judge?” His progressive and inclusive leadership led the Catholic churches across the world to become much more open, which inspired people to return to the Catholic church and religious faith, especially the youth. 

Pope Francis had a unique ability to give hope to all people in this world through his unconditional love for people irrespective of their religion, faith, or background. He visited prisons very often. Every Holy Thursday, he would wash the feet of prisoners exemplifying how we should show mercy to everyone in this world.

Pope Francis was an exceptional religious leader who believed in interfaith dialogue. He has taken proactive steps to participate in various interfaith summits and conversations. He visited countries with large Muslim populations like Indonesia, Iraq, and Egypt, and has had dialogue with religious leaders. Pope Francis was a flagbearer of peace in this world. 

The defining personal characteristic of Pope Francis was his humility. He shed many of the monarchial displays of the Papacy by giving up the luxurious papal residence for a simple apartment and choosing to travel in a small car. After Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio travelled from Argentina to Rome on a return ticket and two small bags to join his fellow cardinals in electing the new Catholic leader. To the surprise of some and probably Bergoglio, he was elected as the new Pope and chose the name Francis, after Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the poor. He never returned to Argentina. 

On Easter Monday, the world lost an extraordinary world leader who unified people with love, kindness, and compassion. His exceptional life will serve as a leading light to all of us. My sincere hope is that his exemplary life will remain a beacon of light for all of us to serve this world with more compassion.

May Pope Francis have eternal peace!

* This article has been reproduced from the site American Kahani by permission of the author.