Pope Francis died one year ago on April 21, 2025. I’m republishing my Newsweek essay from the morning of his death — with a prayer that we, and Pope Leo XIV, still carry his mission forward.
Pope Francis was such a good man and now we are blessed to have another good man follow his footsteps! Pope Leo is an amazing Pope and anyone who says any different does not know the walk that Christ walked! I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian and the gospel that Pope Leo is preaching is the gospel that I know down to my very soul! Thank you for your post you wrote a year ago! Pope Leo will be doing the same as Pope Francis, as he was inspired by him and mentored by him. And thank you for inspiring me.
I'm not even a Christian (though my parents enrolled me in a convent for 10 years as the only available option for English as the medium of instruction - in South Asia) and consider myself a combination of a mildly observant adherent of my birth religion and an agnostic. But I agree 100% with this sentiment!
It’s been a long time since Vatican II. Just like Roe v Wade, the haters came out as soon as the progress was established and hope turned to action. The haters worked for decades to stop humanity’s forward progress.
There’s a breaking point in the American carnival when faith and power collide so hard you can hear the gears strip, and right now it feels like that moment is staring straight at figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and the wider Republican flock that still claims a moral compass.
The call isn’t for louder speeches or sharper attacks, it’s for stepping back from the madness, sitting this round out, and remembering what the faith was supposed to stand for before it got tangled up in the machinery of politics.
Because when the floor of the House starts to feel more like a stage for outrage than a place for conscience, you have to ask who’s guarding the meaning behind the words they’re throwing around.
In that gonzo haze of power and performance, maybe the boldest move isn’t to fight harder, but to stand down, demand something better, and hand the gavel to someone who sees America not as a battleground, but as something worth protecting with a little humility.
I fell in love with Pope Francis when he chose his name because I've been in love with Francis of Assisi for as long as I can remember. In his 12 years as pope I became even more enamored, if that's possible, with pretty much everything he said and did. I very much feel Pope Leo is the gift Pope Francis left for all of us. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
I was fresh out of college dealing with anxiety when Cardinal Bergolio became Pope Francis. I was born into the JP2 generation and spent my high school and college years under Benedict. Francis was a major game changer. Seeing how he looked during Easter of last year made me realize that he was ready to say "goodbye" and wanted to see his flock one last time. As much as I grieve him, it helps knowing that I'm not alone. The Filipino people called Francis "Lolo Kiko" because he came to them in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda and his solidarity with them was heartfelt.
RIP, Pope Francis. I think you'd be proud that your successor is carrying your legacy well.
Thank you for honoring Francis with your Newsweek article on the day of Francis’s death. I believe we have been so blessed to have had a pope whose mission for the church was not to be a magnificent power but to be servant to the poor, the refuges, the neglected. It was to be the church of the Gospel, not so much a hierarchy of authority. I pray we, the worldwide church, continue as communities and individuals to take on Francis’ lead under Leo.
Pope Francis was such a good man and now we are blessed to have another good man follow his footsteps! Pope Leo is an amazing Pope and anyone who says any different does not know the walk that Christ walked! I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian and the gospel that Pope Leo is preaching is the gospel that I know down to my very soul! Thank you for your post you wrote a year ago! Pope Leo will be doing the same as Pope Francis, as he was inspired by him and mentored by him. And thank you for inspiring me.
I'm not even a Christian (though my parents enrolled me in a convent for 10 years as the only available option for English as the medium of instruction - in South Asia) and consider myself a combination of a mildly observant adherent of my birth religion and an agnostic. But I agree 100% with this sentiment!
Two good Popes in a row🥰
It’s been a long time since Vatican II. Just like Roe v Wade, the haters came out as soon as the progress was established and hope turned to action. The haters worked for decades to stop humanity’s forward progress.
There’s a breaking point in the American carnival when faith and power collide so hard you can hear the gears strip, and right now it feels like that moment is staring straight at figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and the wider Republican flock that still claims a moral compass.
The call isn’t for louder speeches or sharper attacks, it’s for stepping back from the madness, sitting this round out, and remembering what the faith was supposed to stand for before it got tangled up in the machinery of politics.
Because when the floor of the House starts to feel more like a stage for outrage than a place for conscience, you have to ask who’s guarding the meaning behind the words they’re throwing around.
In that gonzo haze of power and performance, maybe the boldest move isn’t to fight harder, but to stand down, demand something better, and hand the gavel to someone who sees America not as a battleground, but as something worth protecting with a little humility.
I fell in love with Pope Francis when he chose his name because I've been in love with Francis of Assisi for as long as I can remember. In his 12 years as pope I became even more enamored, if that's possible, with pretty much everything he said and did. I very much feel Pope Leo is the gift Pope Francis left for all of us. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
I was fresh out of college dealing with anxiety when Cardinal Bergolio became Pope Francis. I was born into the JP2 generation and spent my high school and college years under Benedict. Francis was a major game changer. Seeing how he looked during Easter of last year made me realize that he was ready to say "goodbye" and wanted to see his flock one last time. As much as I grieve him, it helps knowing that I'm not alone. The Filipino people called Francis "Lolo Kiko" because he came to them in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda and his solidarity with them was heartfelt.
RIP, Pope Francis. I think you'd be proud that your successor is carrying your legacy well.
Love this reflection on Pope Francis Christopher and all of your perspectives. I'm a new subscriber
How you hey access to older articles?
Thank you for honoring Francis with your Newsweek article on the day of Francis’s death. I believe we have been so blessed to have had a pope whose mission for the church was not to be a magnificent power but to be servant to the poor, the refuges, the neglected. It was to be the church of the Gospel, not so much a hierarchy of authority. I pray we, the worldwide church, continue as communities and individuals to take on Francis’ lead under Leo.