It is with deep sadness that Catholic Charities of Oregon joins people of all faiths around the globe to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who so clearly showed us the path to a more merciful, charitable, peaceful, just, and other-centered world.
For his papacy, Pope Francis chose the name of a saint who intentionally embraced poverty. We knew right away that this pope wanted to align himself with Jesus, whose focus was on the poor. At Catholic Charities of Oregon, we too answer the call to focus on the poor and the marginalized. Today, as we grieve the loss of Pope Francis, we are profoundly grateful for a modern-day leader who showed us by his life’s work what lifting the most vulnerable among us looks like.
Throughout his dozen years as pope, he continued to act as a contemporary prophet, calling us to be and do better.
He moved out of the papal apartments into simple rooms and lived in community.
One of his first major actions, one we’ll never forget, was visiting islands on the Mediterranean to pray for migrants, many of whom lost their lives in those waters. He presided at a Mass using an old boat as an altar, a symbol of the perilous journey. He helped the world remember the dignity and beauty of migrants’ lives even while demanding that government leaders adopt humane policies.
He brought global attention to the crisis of climate change. True to the principles of Christ, he pointed out that the changes occurring on our planet would hurt those who are poor and vulnerable, first and worst.
He could speak to the world one hour and have an intimate conversation with a person who has disabilities the next.
He washed the feet of prison inmates, and spent his time in refugee camps, in hospitals, in prisons and in countries torn apart by war.
He spoke truth to power. In 2019, when Pope Francis received South Sudan’s political leaders at the Vatican, he got down on his knees to kiss their feet, imploring them not to return to fighting.
For his birthday party each year, he regularly invited people who are homeless to join him for a meal and cake.
We began to use a new verb because of Pope Francis. Whereas the church once spoke about “serving” people who are poor, he told us that we really are to “accompany” our brothers and sisters who struggle.
We should not forget that this pope’s first papal letter was about joy. The Christian life is not a grim duty but is reason for lightness of heart. Pope Francis let teenagers take selfies with him and always got into the spirit with exuberance. He delighted in meeting newlyweds and children.
He was both genuinely joyful and compassionate. Even up to his death, he made regular phone calls to places where people suffer. On Easter Sunday, one day before he died, he wanted to ride through St. Peter’s Square, giving silent yet loving blessings to thousands.
Through Pope Francis, we’ve all been touched by Christ to become more generous, more just, more merciful and more apt to accompany those who have been marginalized. We also feel strengthened by hope.
“In addition to finding hope in God’s grace, we are also called to discover hope in the signs of the times that the Lord gives us,” the pope said last year. “We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence.”
At Catholic Charities we won’t stop at simply remembering Pope Francis. His life and his death strengthen our commitment to carry on his works of mercy and justice to those who have been pushed to the fringes of life. We pray we can match his strength, courage, and tenderness. Together, we can heed Pope Francis’s call: “The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope.”
Kaleen Deatherage
Interim CEO/Executive Director
Catholic Charities of Oregon