On Monday, April 21st I woke up and saw an email from America magazine with a simple subject line: “Breaking: Pope Francis dies at 88”.

It was a little after 5:00 AM and while my alarm wasn’t scheduled to go off for another two hours, I found myself unable to fall back to sleep, full of restless sorrow at his passing. At the time of me typing this weeks later, I still feel that sorrow, accompanied with a profound loss at what the world has lost. I’ve mourned his loss more than any other public figure who has passed away. 

On the surface, I’m perplexed as to why I’ve reacted so strongly. I’ve been a Catholic for only a year. As a gay man, my relationship with Catholicism is inherently complicated, with some parts of the religion seemingly incompatible with my innermost self. This has resulted in my keeping parts of my faith at an arm’s length to ensure that I balance my need for spiritual nourishment with prioritizing my mental health.

I’ve even seen other leaders of religions I’m a part of die: President Thomas S. Monson, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died while I was actively serving as a missionary for that faith. When Monson passed, I was living in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah surrounded 24/7 by other devout missionaries and even high ranking church readers and had the chance to mourn with thousands in literally the most LDS place on earth. I was sad when that happened, but within a few hours my sorrow had passed and my life got engulfed in the trials of being a missionary. 

What about Francis was so impactful to me?

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His Prophetic Voice

We live in a time where religion is often hijacked by bad actors who seek to use its name to gain power. Here in the United States, our country is creeping towards fascism fueled by right-wing Christian Nationalism. Pope Francis represented a rejection of these attitudes and pointed both the Catholic Church and the larger Christian world towards the individual person.

He held special space in his heart for migrants and refugees. During a visit to the US/Mexico border in 2016 he called on governments to welcome those fleeing poverty, violence, drug trafficking and organized crime. 

He advocated for those victimized by war. He called for a ceasefire and called the parishioners of Holy Family Church in the Gaza Strip every single day until his hospitalization.

He paid close attention to those in prison. He visited them, washed their feet and reminded them of their dignity. He even left the entire contents of his bank account to those who minister to them. 

His radical encyclical Laudato Si called for us to care for the Earth and take swift action to combat climate  change. 

He spoke against the vilification of the poor and said that every Christian is called to get personally involved in the struggle against poverty. 

I was especially touched by his willingness to seek repentance for the sins of the Catholic Church in the past. He apologized for the Canadian Residential Schools program and the church’s role in colonialism in South America. His willingness to take accountability extended to his own sins, including for his response to abuse victims in Chile. 

Most personal to me was his relationship with the LGBT community. He had his foibles on this issue, but most queer Catholics saw him as a friend and an ally. He was intentional in making space for us, acknowledged our existence, and took our concerns seriously. He met with LGBT Catholics and our advocates, he wrote letters of support to our conferences, and always told us that there was room for us in the Church.

I could list countless other reasons Pope Francis touched my heart. But most of all, I’ll remember him as someone gave his entire life to ministering to God’s children.

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The Next Chapter

As of May 8, 2025, we have wonderful new Holy Father: Pope Leo XIV.

While most media attention is on his American roots, Pope Leo has already strongly committed to continuing the wonderful work of Pope Francis. I was deeply moved when one of his first acts in his new office was to visit the tomb of his friend and fellow Vicar of Christ. As we move into his new pontificate, I feel confident that the Catholic Church will always honor the legacy of the People’s Pope.

Thank you Papa Francesco! Pray for Us!