Pope Francis: Messenger of God's Mercy and Forgiveness

Pope Francis will remain known for many things and initiatives he has carried out during his pontificate. But we will definitely remember him first of all as the Pope who showed us how great God's mercy is towards men and women. Among his first words on this subject is that God forgives always, and it is we who should pray for forgiveness. In a world shattered by hatred and strife, it is such a current message that the world needs.

He is the Pope of the peripheries, paying attention to the poor and the marginalised. Because man, rich or poor, in power or not, and even when he does not live in conformity with the Gospel, possesses an inalienable dignity. The Pope set an example with his life, living in simplicity and without glamour. He paid 47 visits to various countries during his pontificate, but his preference was for countries on the periphery, both existentially and geographically. He spoke out strongly against social injustice and inequality in the economies of the various countries. A friend to the poor and the rejected, his first trip was to Lampedusa where he welcomed a large number of refugees, and one of the last trips was to Mongolia, where Catholics make up 0.04% of the population.

He was also the Pope of the environment, who urged everyone, Catholic or not, to care for this common home of ours, so that the next generation will enjoy it as we have enjoyed it. He showed that climate change first affects small and resource-poor peoples.

Francis – the common man's Pope and the Pope of the people. He made the Church more open and created a closer connection to the world. He loved to say that in the Church there is a place for everyone, because the Church, as on the battlefield, heals the wounds of modern man. And he wanted a Church not to be closed up in the sacristy but to take to the streets of the world to meet the men and women of the 21st century.

We will certainly feel the absence of his charismatic figure, and above all of this man of God. But we believe that he is now praying and helping the Church from a place near the Lord. Our duty is not to let his legacy be lost.