Pope Francis trusted in God and lived by hope, says Christchurch bishop

A requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis was offered at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on April 25. In his homily, Bishop Michael Gielen noted that it was the Easter season, in which hope has broken through darkness.

“Pope Francis, like the Lord he followed, did not run from suffering. He too embraced the trials of this life. He trusted – often with no clarity of where the path would lead – in the hope that God still had a plan,” Bishop Gielen said.

“There is no instruction manual for how to be pope.”

The bishop recalled being in St Peter’s Square in 2013 when Pope Francis was elected. Bishop Gielen was struck by the new Pope’s simplicity, humility and gentleness. Pope Francis took “the name and example of a humble friar who gave his life in service of the poor, St Francis of Assisi”.

“Over 13 years of faithful service, Pope Francis allowed the Holy Spirit to lead him, to shape him and to guide our Church. He lived not by a blueprint but by a trustful openness to God’s surprising call. He became a pilgrim of hope.”

Bishop Gielen recalled Pope Francis insisting that his first visit as pope be to the island of Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily, “where desperate migrants and refugees from Africa were being held in refugee camps”.

“This was the first visit of 53 papal visits he would make throughout his pontificate. It became a defining moment. He stood before the world and said, ‘I come as a pilgrim of hope and peace’.

“Pope Francis lived for 88 years,” Bishop Gielen continued. “He experienced hardship in all its forms. He served in the slums of Buenos Aires, washed the feet of prisoners and called the Church to care for the earth as our common home. He lived through economic crisis, pandemic and chronic ill health. And yet, he remained full of hope. In the face of poverty, hatred, war and despair, Pope Francis never gave up.”

Noting that the Mass was being celebrated on ANZAC Day, Bishop Gielen said that “like our fallen service men and women gone before us, Pope Francis too has finished his race. The pilgrim has reached his destination”.

FULL STORY

Bishop Gielen homily Pope Francis requiem Mass (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch)

Requiescat in Pace, Rest in Peace – Catholic Diocese of Christchurch

Bishop Steve Lowe podcast about Pope Francis (Bishop Steve Lowe/Facebook)

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