Pope Francis, the Pope of hope and simplicity
May 1, 2025
Tea with Our Lady in Tortuga
May 1, 2025
By Fr Stephan Alexander
General Manager, CCSJ and AMMR
When Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on March 13, 2013, he chose a name that would prophetically define his pontificate. Inspired by St Francis of Assisi, the beloved patron of the poor and the environment, Pope Francis emerged as an unmistakable champion of social justice.
He breathed new life into Catholic Social Teaching and challenged both the Church and the world to hear “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.
From the outset, Pope Francis made it clear that his pontificate would not retreat into abstraction but would engage deeply with the realities of human suffering and systemic injustice.
His apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (2013) set the tone for his entire papacy. In it, he articulated a vision of a Church that is “bruised, hurting and dirty” because it has gone out into the streets to serve the marginalised. Evangelii Gaudium boldly critiqued an economy of exclusion, warned against the idolatry of money, and called for an inclusive and missionary Church dedicated to the promotion of justice, peace, and dignity for all.
Perhaps his most publicised document was the encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015). In this landmark teaching, Pope Francis framed care for creation not merely as an environmental concern but as a profoundly moral and spiritual imperative. He situated ecological destruction within the broader context of social injustice, emphasising that environmental harm most deeply affects the poor.
Calling for an “integral ecology,” Pope Francis invited humanity to recognise the interconnectedness of all life, underscoring that the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor were one and the same.
Building upon Laudato Si’, the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (2023) offered a direct and urgent call for concrete global action against the climate crisis. Whereas Laudato Si’ laid a theological foundation, Laudate Deum challenged the persistent inaction of political leaders and economic systems, reminding all people of goodwill that action must accompany reflection if we are to safeguard our common home.
In Querida Amazonia (2020), following the Synod for the Amazon, Pope Francis presented a compelling vision of hope for indigenous peoples and their ecosystems.
His “dreams” for the Amazon—social, cultural, ecological, and ecclesial—wove together a call for respect for native cultures, a defence of human rights, and a renewal of missionary discipleship rooted in justice and solidarity.
Central to Pope Francis’ social teaching was his unwavering advocacy for migrants and refugees. In countless homilies, addresses, and papal messages, including his annual reflections for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, he insisted on the inherent dignity of those forced to flee their homelands.
Migration, he reminded us, was not a problem to be solved but a human reality to be embraced with compassion, hospitality, and justice.
This theme was further developed in Fratelli Tutti (2020), his encyclical on fraternity and social friendship. Drawing from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis invited humanity to build a culture of encounter and solidarity that transcended borders of nationality, ethnicity, and creed. He critiqued individualism and the throwaway culture, advocating instead for a politics of mercy, dialogue, and mutual care.
His apostolic exhortation Dilexit Nos (2024), though less widely publicised, was another vital contribution. In it, Pope Francis reflected on the unconditional love of Christ for humanity, grounding Christian engagement with the world in the radical call to love, serve, and defend the dignity of every person, especially the most vulnerable.
Dilexit Nos reaffirmed the inseparability of faith and social action, stressing that authentic discipleship must always bear the fruits of justice, peace, and solidarity.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis expanded the horizons of Catholic Social Teaching. He did not invent new doctrines but rather retrieved and re-presented the perennial truths of the Gospel with prophetic urgency for the signs of the times. His teachings drew deeply from Scripture, tradition, and the lived experiences of the poor and oppressed, renewing the Church’s commitment to her social mission.
In so doing, Pope Francis reminded the world that fidelity to Christ entailed concrete engagement with the realities of injustice, inequality, ecological devastation, and exclusion.
His legacy remains that of a courageous, compassionate, and tireless champion of social justice—a true servant of the Gospel for the modern world.
As we give thanks for his life and witness, we also commend his soul to the infinite mercy of God: Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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