"A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just." Pope Francis
Friends,
The world lost a great religious leader this week when Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. He will be remembered for many things, but I will remember him most for his outspokenness; always a champion of the poor and marginalized. He was a reformer who advocated for radical, transformational change in the church he led and in society at large. While his vision of inclusiveness - in my view - fell short when it came to true gender equality and all the issues embedded in it, he pushed his church to more fully live into Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
My favorite images of Pope Francis are those of him kneeling down on Maundy Thursday to wash the feet of migrant laborers. Known as “the people’s Pope,” he embodied the mercy that he preached. I know that his presence in the world made it at least a little less cold and a little more just. I grieve along with the global Catholic community at his loss. My prayer is that the legacy of Pope Francis will endure, urging us all to live with more compassion, courage, and grace.
Yours in shared ministry,
Rev. Diane
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