A Humble Servant and a Hopeful Witness: Remembering Pope Francis
Welcome back to staff, families and boys to the second term. I hope most were able to have a restful break and enjoy some of the Easter liturgy celebrations.
The death of Pope Francis, while not unexpected, brings with it a deep sense of loss. We grieve the passing of a man who stood as a moral compass for our times, whose life reminded us of our shared commitment to humankind. His words and actions stirred our hearts, he continually challenged us to live the Gospel message with integrity.
In so many ways, Pope Francis was one of us. He refused the pomp of papal limousines, palatial residences and ornate vestments, instead choosing to model humility and simplicity. He reminded us of a Church that is, in his words, “poor and for the poor.” He grieved with refugees (he was one himself), washed the feet of prisoners, wept with outcasts and acknowledged his own faults with rare honesty and grace.
Many will hold close the image of Francis as a man who not only loved people, but who deeply cherished the encounter. He saw, in every person, the face of Christ and responded with warmth, delight and with what he called in Fratelli Tutti, a “loving gaze towards the stranger”; a gaze filled with compassion, openness and welcome.
I remember watching him during a weekly audience in Rome, moving through the crowd in his Pope-mobile. He stopped to embrace an infant, holding her close and smiling; wholly engaged in that moment of love.
Two of my favourite images of Pope Francis speak to this deep love of encounter. One shows him hugging an eight-year-old boy with cerebral palsy during one of those weekly gatherings. The other captures a beautiful, unscripted moment when a young child unexpectedly walked up onto the altar. Without hesitation, Pope Francis took the child’s hand, offering not just welcome, but belonging.
Francis inherited a Church facing immense challenges. He spoke candidly in describing the Church as a “field hospital” in need of healing. He acknowledged the pain caused by division, rigidity, judgment and especially the devastation caused by clerical sexual abuse. Yet through it all, he remained a man of hope; undaunted, steady, and faithful.
He led courageously on issues that matter deeply in our world. He reminded us of the dignity of refugees and migrants, of the cost of war and the sacred duty to protect our common home, earth. He challenged us to put the “least, the lost, and the lonely” at the centre of our concern, because every person is made in the image and likeness of God.
Pope Francis offered a powerful alternative for the young men at Marist Canberra where fame, success and material wealth could all too often, if we are not careful, be seen as the only markers of worth. Here was a man of immense global influence who lived simply, who listened deeply and who led by serving others.
Finally, Pope Francis challenged us not to settle for words alone, but to love in action; to reach out, to accompany, to serve. His life teaches us that faith is not something abstract but something lived in concrete gestures of mercy, justice and tenderness. In following his example, we honour his legacy with lives that reflect the Gospel, one encounter at a time.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
