On April 21st, Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) passed away. He was 88 years old Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and South American pope, has made a big difference since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church in 2013. During his time as Pope, he did many wonderful things, and today, I’m going to share what thåt means to me and my faith.
Pope Francis was big on global issues such as social injustices and interfaith dialogue, environmental protection, and advocacy for marginalized communities. He has called for global solidarity and urged wealthier nations to share resources with other developing countries, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One thing right away that stood out was the Popes way of skipping the fancy papal apartment to live in a simpler guesthouse, and he even rode regular cars instead of luxurious ones. His actions showed he wanted to be closer to regular people and focus on serving others.
One of the biggest things Pope Francis did was write Laudato Si’, which talks about how we all need to protect the Earth. He said climate change is a huge deal and we should take care of the planet for future generations and especially for poor communities who are affected the most. Along with this, he’s traveled a lot, visiting countries to encourage peace and understanding between different religions.
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Francis also worked to make the Vatican’s finances clearer and more honest by starting new systems to manage money better. In 2015, he introduced the Year of Mercy, where he encouraged people to forgive and be kind to others.
He’s also taken steps to make the Church more open, especially to LGBTQ+ communities. While Church rules didn’t change, his famous line “Who am I to judge?” made people feel accepted and welcome. Even though some people criticize him for being too modern, others see him as someone trying to make the Church fit into the modern world.
Pope Francis’s time as pope has been all about caring for the planet, helping people in need, and making the Catholic Church more understanding and approachable. His actions have inspired millions and made him one of the most influential leaders of this time.
This motivates me to be more like Pope Francis in the way he hardly judged, and he always was looking out for others.
