Pope Francis mourned as champion for change
Published:Tuesday | April 22, 2025 | 12:10 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
A Pope of the people; admired for his humility, his advocacy for the poor and marginalised, and his commitment to “synodality” is how Archbishop of Kingston Kenneth Richards will remember the late Pope Francis.
Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died on Monday at 88 years old. He died of a stroke and subsequent irreversible heart failure, the Vatican said in a statement.
The day prior, he emerged from convalescence to greet thousands of people who gathered in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, in observance of Easter Sunday.
Although the head of the Catholic Church had been ailing for some time, with a history of acute respiratory failure, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes, Richards said his appearance on Sunday had given hope that he was recuperating. Nonetheless, he is confident that the impact of his papacy will live on.
“His ministry embraced persons and gave an opportunity to listen to the pain of persons who are at the margins, and invited the ministers of the Church that we truly reach out. One of the statements that he charged us with is that we must have the smell of the sheep – that we must be among the people,” he said.
Pope Francis was elected in 2013 and worked to transform the mentality of the Catholic Church through what he deemed “synodality”. This involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together in service of the mission of the Church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“We must also be listening to members of the Church, especially those sometimes who feel on the margin, not thinking that they have something to contribute. The Holy Father has given great emphasis that, indeed, we start listening to every baptised member of the Church because, by virtue of their baptism, they have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their lives,” Richards said, in explaining a key aspect of Pope Francis’s legacy.
Millions in mourning
The Pope’s death has plunged millions across the world in mourning. In Jamaica, Catholics account for approximately 2.1 per cent of the country’s population.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness expressed sadness at the death of Pope Francis, stating that he “has influenced and touched the lives of millions in every corner of the world”.
“As head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was a champion and advocate for change, and used his papacy to highlight issues of fairness, equity, climate change and more. His quiet humility endeared millions to his style and to a deeper belief in God,” Holness said in a tribute on Monday.
The Opposition People’s National Party also paid tribute to Pope Francis, saying “his life was a testament to spiritual devotion, moral clarity, and a tireless, progressive commitment to unity and human dignity”.
“To the Catholic community across Jamaica, I offer heartfelt sympathies during this time of reflection and mourning. May you find comfort in the Pope’s enduring legacy of compassion, humility, and faith,” said PNP President Mark Golding.
The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals, after which all cardinals under the age of 80 will convene to pick the next leader of the Catholic Church.
These involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respects, followed by the funeral and burial.
The funeral is presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals or, if that is not possible, by the vice-dean or another senior cardinal. The current dean is Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91. The vice-dean is Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 81. Francis earlier this year extended both of their five-year terms rather than appoint new ones.
Francis had pursued reform which allows for burial outside the Vatican, with the camerlengo - the acting head of the Vatican until a new pope is elected - presiding. Various seals are impressed on the coffin, and it is placed inside the tomb.
The election of a new Pope typically takes between two and three weeks, however, it can stretch slightly beyond that if cardinals struggle to agree on a candidate. The voting process is kept secret but will take place with the eyes of the world on the Vatican.
Richards is optimistic that whoever is elected the new Pope will carry on the mission of Pope Francis and that of the Catholic Church.
“We always rely on the guidance and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We pray that all the members of the Church will be our own deposition, listening to the Holy Spirit, and so his legacy, we hope that that is built on,” he said.