Aboard the flight from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, Pope Leo XIV recalls his predecessor Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, saying the late Pope “gave so much through his life and his closeness to the poor.”
By Salvatore Cernuzio – Aboard papal plane “On this first anniversary of his death, I would like to remember Pope Francis, who left so much, who gave so much to the Church through his life, his witness, his words, and his gestures. He did so by truly living closeness to the poorest, to the least, to the sick, to children, and to the elderly.” Pope Leo XIV offered those words about his predecessor to journalists as he flew from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, which marks the final leg of his Apostolic Journey to Africa. The flight came on the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away at dawn on April 21, 2025. The anniversary is being marked by the Church throughout the world. Promotion of fraternity Pope Leo offered words filled with affection and gratitude for the late Pope Francis, who “left so much to the Church through his witness and his words.” Recalling many aspects of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Leo XIV first pointed out his tireless exhortation to “universal fraternity.” Pope Francis, he said, truly sought to “promote authentic respect for all men and all women, promoting a spirit of fraternity, of being brothers and sisters, all of us, and of seeking how to live the message we find in the Gospel.” Message of mercy He also recalled Pope Francis’ message of mercy, which the Argentine Pope expressed from his first Angelus on the Sunday after his election on March 13, 2013. Pope Francis spoke about mercy “that first time at the Angelus, but also at the Holy Mass he celebrated before the inauguration of his pontificate on March 17, 2013.” Pope Leo recalled that, in the Vatican parish of St. Anne, Pope Francis “preached on the woman caught in adultery” and “spoke from the heart of God’s mercy, from the heart of this great love, of forgiveness and of the Lord’s generous expression of mercy.” Pope Francis wanted to share this “spirit” “with the whole Church,” Pope Leo continued, recalling the “beautiful celebration of an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.” A gift for all “Let us pray that he is already enjoying the Lord’s mercy,” Pope Leo XIV concluded. “Let us thank the Lord for the great gift of Francis’ life to the whole Church and to the whole world.”