04/23/2025
This might be surplus to requirements, but some thoughts of Pope Francis, and a few of his possible successors.....
A Reflection on the Death of Pope Francis
With the death of Pope Francis, the Christian world marks the end of a significant era. His passing leaves us with many memories—some joyful, some challenging—and also with questions about the road ahead.
He was a man of evident pastoral instinct. He wanted a Church that looked outward. He reminded us that the Gospel belongs not just in cathedrals but on street corners, in prisons, in refugee camps, in broken places. He spoke often of mercy and compassion, and tried to focus our eyes on the poor and overlooked.
His simplicity of lifestyle, his informal tone, and his concern for the edges of society were sincere and disarming. He was not a man of curial polish or theological hair-splitting. He tried, as he saw it, to get back to the basics: Christ, the Gospel, and the life of love.
At the same time, it would be untrue to say that his pontificate was without strain. His way of leading sometimes left good people confused or frustrated. He wanted to open doors, but at times didn’t say clearly where the walls still stood. There were moments when it seemed that unity was being stretched rather than strengthened. These are not failures of intention, but they are wounds that may need healing.
Now that his voice is silent, the Church will need, once again, to listen carefully: to Scripture, to her tradition, to the faithful across the world, and to the Lord himself.
As we pray for the repose of Francis’s soul, we also look to the future. And it’s worth noting that there are a few men within the College of Cardinals who, in different ways, carry deep reserves of wisdom, prayer, and strength—men who may be called upon to guide the Church in the next season.
Cardinal Robert Sarah
From Guinea, Cardinal Sarah is a man of deep prayer and hard-won insight. He has lived through political persecution and watched the Church suffer for her faith. He speaks softly but clearly, and with unusual moral seriousness.
He has written with real depth about the need for silence, for reverence in worship, and for inner conversion. He is not interested in headlines or fashion. He is concerned with holiness, with truth, and with God. For many, he represents a call back to the deep roots of Christian faith—not in fear, but in confidence that what we have received is worth handing on.
Cardinal Péter Erdő
The Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest is a calm, capable figure with a strong mind and a steady hand. As a canon lawyer and theologian, he understands both the content of the faith and the practical needs of the Church.
He does not attract controversy. He listens, he clarifies, and he rarely speaks without having thought deeply. He would bring stability—perhaps even a welcome quietness—to a Church that has spent many years in very public debate. His Eastern European background also means he’s lived with the memory of persecution and the demands of rebuilding.
Cardinal Peter Turkson
From Ghana, Cardinal Turkson has spent decades thinking and speaking about justice, peace, and the common good. He understands how the Gospel speaks to economics and ecology, but also how it speaks to the heart. He is energetic, thoughtful, and pastorally grounded.
He has worked in Rome and around the world. He knows the realities of the Global South, but is comfortable in dialogue across cultures. He is doctrinally sound and personally warm. In many ways, he represents a kind of bridge—between north and south, tradition and development, teaching and service.
And Now
Whoever is chosen, the needs are not unclear. The Church needs clear teaching, steady governance, prayerful leadership, and a certain courage—the courage to speak the truth in love, and to carry the burden of Peter not as a trophy, but as a cross.
We give thanks for Pope Francis—not because he was perfect, but because he gave himself, as best he could, to the service of Christ. We pray for his rest, and we entrust his legacy to the judgment of God, whose mercy is greater than ours.
And we pray for the Church—that in the years ahead, she may be more faithful, more honest, more holy, and more deeply rooted in the truth that sets us free.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd of the sheep,
govern and guide thy Church in peace.
Grant to her a shepherd after thine own heart,
who shall feed thy flock and strengthen thy people.
And grant to thy servant Francis, Pope and pastor,
rest from his labours and light eternal.
Amen.
