In Memory of Pope Francis

In Memory of Pope Francis

With the passing of Pope Francis, the global church has lost a deeply prayerful and prophetic Christian leader. As a Lutheran, I have often been moved by how Francis guided a Church not historically known for synodality into a posture of listening—deep listening—to the Holy Spirit and to one another.

He reminded us that synod is not about decision-making alone, but about discerning together what seems good ‘to the Holy Spirit and to us’ (Acts 15:28). That is a deeply biblical and profoundly Lutheran way to be the Church.

Pope Francis spoke of Jesus knocking on the door—not from the outside, but from the inside of the Church—wanting to be let out, to go to the margins. This image has stayed with me. The Church does not bring Christ into the world as though he is absent from it. Rather, we go out and discover that Christ is already there—especially among the marginalised, the suffering, the forgotten.

Through many efforts, Pope Francis significantly advanced the journey toward unity between the Roman Catholic Church and the global Lutheran community, fostering a spirit of cooperation, mutual respect, and shared mission.

In a world where strength often looks like domination, we’ve lost someone whose strength was in goodness.

In this, Pope Francis bore witness to a missionary faith—humble, courageous, and Spirit-led. And for that, we give thanks to God.

Image: Pope Francis, pictured at the G7 Summit in June 2024.
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