POPE Francis, who prayed for Palestine, died on Easter Monday. The first Argentine pontiff’s diverse and progressive vision, radical for some, shaped his 12-year papacy. While many saw his time in the Vatican as a divided church, for the ordinary he was a reformer who spoke for the poor and the marginalised, and strove for interfaith accord, humanity and compassion. Pope Francis said “reality is greater than ideas”, and pulled no punches in denouncing the rise of “resentful and aggressive nationalism”. Often a lonely moral voice at a time when the line between justice and evil has blurred, the late pope’s liberal stance on unity and equality irked the conservatives. But practising ethical clarity, he introduced diversity in the College of Cardinals with the appointment of new cardinals from all over the world, including Pakistan’s Joseph Coutts, and brought more women in senior Vatican positions than any of his predecessors.

In a xenophobic world, as the Muslims felt let down by their oil-rich brotherhood’s failure to unite against Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, unequivocal condemnation and calls for ceasefire in the land of three Abrahamic faiths became central to every address by the Bishop of Rome. The first pope to wash the feet of Muslims on Holy Thursday, and to visit the Arab world for interfaith harmony and dialogue, he was set on inclusivity. An advocate for peace and humanitarian support for conflict-ridden Myanmar, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine, his last message on Palm Sunday was to “call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people”. But sadly, he overlooked the plight of the Uighur community. It is hoped that the papal successor will take inspiration from the message to care in a memorable image — the solitary prayer service in St Peter’s Square during the pandemic — and hold on to the values of solidarity and social justice.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025