MY TRIBUTE TO POPE FRANCIS - 1936-2025
21/04/2025
For Janice and I, Pope Francis was our Pope. The only one that we have had the pleasure to meet and the only one that we ever really wanted to. Janice and I are saddened by his death. We had a wonderful time meeting him and maybe hoped that there would be another chance.
The strangeness of a Presbyterian minister being so fond of a Pope goes back to the night that the white smoke went up and he was announced as Pope.
Us Presbyterians from Fitzroy were in Clonard Monastery doing The Gospel According To... Christy Moore. Strange indeed. It was one of the first ever 4 Corners Festival events. It had been postponed in January because of snow but the West Belfast Féile invited us to do it at a mini Spring Féile.
My phone was pinging with texts from Rome. Another Fitzer, Paul Clark, was there with UTV News. He was determined to get the news of a new Pope to Presbyterians first!!! So we could tell our Catholic friends!
I am not sure how the timings worked but I do remember that we did indeed announce the new Pope. I think everyone was taken by him choosing the name Francis. Everyone loved Francis Of Assisi. May I Be A Channel Of Your Peace for goodness sake.
It was no surprise when one of his major encyclicals was Laudato si, an appeal for us all to consider the planet. Very Francis of Assisi. Followed up with a film The Letter that we showed at 4 Corners Festival this was all widely discussed and hopefully acted upon. I remember being invited with Fr Martin to an evening at Queen’s with John Barry and Jonathan Hanson.
Watching his time as Pope, as I did from a distance, I was taken by Pope Francis. He seemed to be quite evangelical. I would later meet Austen Ivereigh who wrote books with the Pope and Austen’s first book about him was called The Reformer.
It did seem like a Reformation when he went to all the synods of the world and asked the opinions of every Catholic. This is not Magisterium pontificating down but the hierarchy bending down and listening to the pew sitter. I wonder if we are doing that in our so called Reformed denominations?
I was asked, as a Presbyterian, to review his book (with Austen) Let Us Dream. I found it powerfully prophetic. On hyper, individualism, on care for the poor, on rigidity being the sing of a bad spirit, and the need to walk together.
Even more needing to be heard, for these days we are living was “I criticise the self-evidently fictitious idea that wealth must be allowed to roam unhindered in order to provide prosperity to all.” Instead he sees the secret of a better day “to put the economy at the service of the people to build peace and justice and defend mother earth.” This is Biblical stuff. Jesus preached.
The chance to meet him was a thrill for Fr Martin, Janice and I when in celebrating 10 years of 4 Corners Festival we were invited to a private audience along with a bunch of students celebrating 50 years of the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast. Our hour with Pope Francis was unforgettable. His humility. His welcome. His passion for Jesus. His genuine interest in us. His willingness to engage with us.
He was mentally very sharp at then 85 years of age. He opened the floor to questions that meant he was confident to answer quickly whatever came his way. I was immediately impressed.
When we got talking about relationships across denominational lines Pope Francis was warm in his respect for those of us who weren’t Catholic. He asked that we work together. He also suggested that we should send those who were divided over theology to an island to fight it out while we get on with IT.
That struck me. What was his IT? IT was not theology. Oh he was not dismissing theology. Of course not. He understood too that our theology was different. BUT it shouldn’t get in the way with getting on with IT.
I can only go by what else he shared with us in that library. His big but gentle preach that morning was that we would read the Gospels of Jesus so much that we would start to wear Jesus. “The soul is moved by witness”, he said. If that is IT, then I am in.
I was asked on to different radio programmes today. Before I went on I wanted to capture Pope Francis in a few words, so that I'd have something when I didn't know what the next question was. It was easy to trot them out.
He was welcoming. He welcomed us warmly into his private library.
He was committed. I found it beautiful that the day before he passed, he was working on resurrection Sunday. People have said that they felt sorry that they made him work when he was so frail. From meeting him I know that he would have wanted to be out there saying even just a few words. He walked across a room to the door and back to welcome us, on very painful knees.
He was humble. His humility seemed to not just be in words. He was a no frills Pope. No limousines or fancy shoes. There are so many stories of this and his posture in our presence was of deep humility. He always asked people to pray for him. He was the Pope for goodness sake.
He was Jesus centred. I have had my fill of the theologically centred, the legalist centred and the denominationally centred. The only times I find authenticity of Christian faith is when I am with someone who exudes the Jesus who they are clearly mesmerised by and are attempting to stumble and tumble after. Pope Francis was one of those.
My biggest regret in life was that the he asked me to pray for him, as we said goodbye in his private library, that I promised I would but didn't just put my hand on his shoulder and pray for him right there in the Vatican.
So, this Presbyterian Manse is heartbroken at the news the death of Pope Francis. Janice and I are so very grateful that we got to meet him and are so sorry that our daughter Jasmine will not get to meet him on her trip in July.