“I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, became the 265th successor of St. Peter on 13 March 2013. He is the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis, in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. Before his election, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 28 February 1998 and was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on 21 February 2001.
“I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a field hospital after battle.”
The tender mercy of God shaped the Holy Father’s approach to the pressing issues of our day, including the globalisation of indifference, the environmental crises brought on by climate change and structures in church and society which excluded so many.
Some Significant Documents: Evangelii Gaudium (2013), Laudato Si’ (2015), Amoris Laetitia (2016), Gaudete et Exsultate (2018), Fratelli Tutti (2020), Praedicate Evangelium (2022)
One of Pope Francis’ most significant contributions to the Church has been his emphasis on synodality – a process of shared discernment, listening, and participation among the people of God. He has sought to deepen collegiality and co-responsibility in Church governance.
We thank God for the ministry of Pope Francis. By emphasising a “field hospital” model of the Church, he moved us toward greater inclusion, humility, and mission-driven discipleship.
“Mercy cannot become a mere parenthesis in the life of the Church; it constitutes her very existence, through which the profound truths of the Gospel are made manifest and tangible. Everything is revealed in mercy; everything is resolved in the merciful love of the Father.”