21/04/2025
Pope Francis has returned home to his Father.
We now enter a time called ‘Sede Vacante’ or the time of the empty throne. But from the moment he first stepped out as pope in 2013, simply asking the faithful to pray for him before he blessed them, Pope Francis signaled a different kind of papacy—one that did not require a throne to affirm authority. He chose simplicity over grandeur, washing the feet of prisoners, embracing the sick, and choosing the name “Francis” to align himself with the poor man of Assisi who rebuilt the Church by living the Gospel authentically.
Pope Francis taught us that a pope does not need a throne to lead—only the courage to listen, the strength to walk with the wounded, and the faith to follow Christ to the borders of society. In his death, we mourn a father, a shepherd, and a prophet of tenderness. But we also carry forward his example: that holiness is not found in power, but in love, and that the Church’s future is born from hearts willing to serve.
Now, in this space of sede vacante, may his memory challenge and inspire the Church to live the words of his episcopal motto “choose him, seeking mercy” as we begin to choose leaders who do not seek the seat of honor, but who, like Francis, would rather sit with the poor.
“Ubi Caritas et amor, Deus ibi est”
Where charity & love are. There God is
Requiescat in Pace
