Presbyterians mourn the loss of Pope Francis

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) joins with the global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis and grieving his absence among us even as we look toward the celebration his life on Saturday and commend his soul to God, to whom we all belong, in life and in death.

Even as he neared the end of his life, Pope Francis was pastoral, giving one last traditional Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s before he died early in the morning on Easter Monday, April 21.

The life of Pope Francis, a name chosen to honor Saint Francis of Assisi, was a testament to humility and compassion, embodying the spirit of service and love for our neighbors. In his ministry, he carried his life and experiences as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Italian immigrant parents. As the first pope from Latin America, Francis emphasized God's preferential option for the poor, a central tenet of liberation theology and one that also has resonances within Reformed theology.

Many Presbyterians were grateful to see Pope Francis emphasize this important aspect of Christian faith and felt encouraged in our own embrace of those who are most vulnerable in society. Many Presbyterians were also grateful for and encouraged by the pope’s commitment to social justice and environmental stewardship.

He continued to remind the Church that God is at work in the world even when we cannot perceive it. He also reminded the Church to continue to listen to God’s Spirit as it moves in the world today. While maintaining some of the more ardently conservative parts of Catholic faith, Pope Francis will still be remembered for increased outreach to those traditionally on the margins of power and society: women, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ+ people, and people from other faiths.

A tireless advocate for the care of Creation, he wrote two papal encyclicals on the environment, “Laudato Si’” (2015) and “Laudate Deum: To All People of Good Will on the Climate Crisis” (2023). He grounded his advocacy for the environment on God’s love. He once shared a story about a child asking him what God did before God created the world. “Before God created the world, God loved. Because God IS love,” Francis told the child. He went on to tell the audience that out of that love, the world and all that was contained in it was created, from which we might infer that that as those created in the image of God, we are called to that same kind of extravagant love, for each other and for our non-human neighbors and for our entire common home, this Earth.

Many Presbyterians celebrated, studied, and shared “Laudato Si’” in networks and congregations and again felt inspired and encouraged in their own faith and work to care for God’s Creation. “Laudato Si’” raised awareness about the environmental crisis and promoted action, both for Catholics and, in the growing climate action movement, across all faiths and even for some who had no claim to faith. It called for a more holistic and sustainable approach to environmental issues, which resonated across faith and denominational lines.

To be Presbyterian is to be ecumenical, and as such, we affirm and celebrate the occasions in which we can work alongside Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and other faith communities to affirm common biblical principles of care for Creation and care for the most vulnerable among us. Pope Francis, in affirming the Orthodox observation of the World Day of Prayer for All Creation, used his spiritual and moral leadership do just that, inviting not only the Catholic Church but the whole world to an ethic of Earth care and care for the poor.

As Presbyterians we come from a different theological tradition and we abide by a different polity than those within the Roman Catholic Church, and as such there have been places of divergence in ethical, moral or theological claims made by Pope Francis compared to those affirmed by our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assemblies. At the same time, we are grateful for the legacy of Pope Francis, an example of a life unapologetically committed to treating those living on the margins of society with kindness and respect, giving us a glimpse of a more just, compassionate society rooted in the dignity of all people and the well-being of all God’s Creation.

In 2015, the Rev. Gradye Parsons, then Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), wrote a letter commending Pope Francis for the recently released “Laudato Si’”:

“We celebrate the faithful witness and words of Pope Francis today as he encourages responsible, loving care for God’s creation in the release of his papal encyclical ‘Laudato Si’.’ We affirm its echo of the great St. Francis’ reverence for nature …

“Pope Francis’ leadership, wisdom, and pastoral care are evident in the encyclical, and we deeply appreciate this powerful, faith-filled encouragement for all people to join together to care for God’s creation. … We applaud the inspiring leadership of Pope Francis and look forward to seeing what transformative commitments will result from this ethical mandate to care for creation.”

We stand, just as Parsons said in his letter to Pope Francis, in “the moral conviction that we must turn from individual and corporate practices that harm the creation and participate in healing, protecting, and caring for the world. We will continue to work in partnerships with other faith communities and in the public sector as we all seek to better care for all people and all creation.”

We will continue to work in partnerships as we live out our faith in all expressions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

• in living into our biblical and theological commitments to caring for Creation as attested to in our General Assembly policies, our Book of Order and Directory for Worship, and in our hymns
• in continuing to learn and make our buildings and meetings and the ways we live and work greener
• in advocating for better policies nationally and locally and through corporate engagement
• in responding to climate-related disasters, often disparate in impact.

We reaffirm the call from God that Pope Francis articulated and lived, to love as God loves and care for all people and Creation, and are grateful for his ministry and leadership.

Holy God,

We thank you that in times of sorrow you are not far from the brokenhearted, providing peace and comfort in the midst of pain and loss. We give thanks for the life of Pope Francis, one given so completely to the service of you, the church and to God’s people.

We pray that your presence as the God of the Resurrection be with all those finding their way through pain and uncertainty, into your hope as the days ahead unfold. We pray for the cardinals and for your discerning Spirit to guide them as they gather to select a new leader for their church.

In these challenging times, we ask that you be our constant reminder that our shared faith calls us to build bridges, recognize all of our humanity, and stand up for our neighbors. We pray that your strength will be experienced in the days ahead as so many of your children navigate this profound loss. May all mourning be replaced with joy as we give thanks for the life of Pope Francis and commend his soul to you.

We pray in the name of Christ,

Amen.

The Rev. Jihyun Oh is Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency.