A people’s pontiff

Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, was not just the first Latin American pontiff, he was, in many ways, the most unconventional pope of modern times. A spiritual leader with the heart of a reformer, Jorge Mario Bergoglio embodied humility, compassion and a quiet but persistent defiance of the Vatican’s ossified traditions. From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in 2013, rejecting papal opulence and choosing the name “Francis” after the saint of the poor, his message was unmistakable: this would be a papacy focussed on mercy over judgment, inclusion over exclusion and the marginalised over the powerful.

He will be remembered as the pope who washed the feet of prisoners, lived in a guesthouse instead of the Apostolic Palace, and embraced LGBTQ Catholics, migrants and climate action with moral clarity. His messages on environmental stewardship and economic inequality reframed Catholic doctrine for the 21st century. For many, he reimagined the Church not as an institution of power, but as a field hospital — meeting people where they suffer. Pope Francis notably addressed the liturgical dispute in India’s Syro-Malabar Church, appointing Archbishop Cyril Vasil as his delegate to mediate.

Critics saw him as too progressive, and his initial response to clerical abuse drew scrutiny. Yet, reform under Francis was real, if incomplete. Still, he reoriented the Church’s moral compass towards compassion. His visit to conflict zones and his willingness to speak uncomfortable truths gave him moral authority beyond the Catholic fold. In a divided world — and often a divided Church — he stood as a figure of unity and hope. Pope Francis reminded us that true power lies in humility. His call for a “Church of the poor, for the poor” will resonate for generations.